For Van der Gucht, the real excitement lies in this fundamental discovery, which challenges long-standing assumptions in materials science. Still, he also sees future possibilities if he allows his imagination to roam. Because compleximers are impact-resistant and easy to process, they can also be repaired quickly and easily. Think of roofing panels, garden furniture or even a car body made from compleximers. “Got a serious crack? Just heat it up with a hairdryer, press it together, and the gap is sealed again.”
The difference from conventional plastics lies in how their molecular building blocks are connected. On a molecular scale, plastics consist of long chains. Normally, these chains are ‘glued’ together by chemical cross-links. In the new material, the chains are held together by physical attractive forces instead. One half of the chains carries a positive charge, the other a negative charge. These opposite charges attract each other, much like magnets. “That’s how the chains stay together, without being chemically fixed,” explains Sophie van Lange, first author of the publication.