ABSTRACT
Advanced materials are a signifi cant driving force that boosts revolution in human society and still determine the pace of technology development. Self-healing materials are a category of advanced materials that can revert to their original state after damage with full or partial recovery of mechanical properties. As there is a strong demand in increasing the service life of materials and decreasing consumption of natural resources, self-healing materials have received enormous attention in recent years. Self-healing polymeric materials are inspired by biological systems in which damage initiates an autonomous healing process without external intervention (Wool 2008, Wu et al. 2008, Williams et al. 2008, Bergman and Wudl 2008). For example, an epidermal wound heals itself through three steps: formation of a blood clot, formation of a dense capillary network and a temporary granulation tissue and division and growth of epidermal cells (Epstein et al. 1999, Martin 1997). Learning from nature, material scientists have developed a variety of approaches to design self-healing materials, including polymers, metals and concretes.
