Polyurethane Vitrimers Engineered with Nitrogen-Coordinating Cyclic Boronic Diester Bonds for Sustainable Bioelectronics

Flexible bioelectronic devices seamlessly interface with organs and tissues, offering unprecedented opportunity for timely prevention, early diagnosis, and medical therapies. However, the majority of flexible substrates utilized in bioelectronics still encounter significant challenges in terms of recyclability and reprocessing, leading to the accumulation of environmentally and biologically hazardous toxic waste. Here, the study reports the design of recyclable polyurethane (PU) vitrimers engineered with internal boron-nitrogen coordination bonds that can reversibly dissociate to boronic acids and hydroxyl, or undergo metathesis reaction following an associative pathway. The study demonstrates the capacity of these recyclable PU vitrimers as flexible substrates in various wearable and implantable bioelectronic applications, achieving high-quality electrophysiological recordings and stimulation. Furthermore, the study establishes a sustainable recycling process by reconstructing a range of bioelectronic devices from the recycled PU vitrimers without compromising the mechanical performance. This closed-loop approach not only addresses the critical challenge of the reclaiming medical electronic waste but also paves the way for the development of sustainable flexible bioelectronics for healthcare applications.