Cross‐Linked but Self‐Healing and Entirely Degradable Poly‐Schiff Base Metal Complex Materials for Potential Anti‐Biofouling

Abstract Environmentally friendly materials with good adjustable mechanical properties, modifiability, self‐healing properties, and entirely degradable properties promote technological progress, but they fail to integrate all the attributes in a single platform. Herein, a design concept is conceived that uses the reversible bond of imine part, the metal ion–ligand coordination, and the crystallites to jointly adjust the internal structure of poly‐Schiff base (PSB) metal complexes to achieve cross‐linking, high stretchability, self‐healing, and complete degradability. The metal ion–imine ligand coordination controls the degree and distribution of the internal physical and chemical cross‐linking of such a material, presenting a very interesting and surprising feature: controllable transformation of plasticity and elasticity, high stretchability, or high strength. Due to the dynamic covalent bond of imines and metal–ligand bonding, this material shows excellent self‐healing properties at room temperature, and finally degrades into small monomers in an aqueous medium, avoiding the incurrence of microplastics. It is further expected to apply this material to create a new, biodegradable, and multifunctional anti‐biofouling material platform. It is believed that the design concept proposed here may represent a general method for preparing environmentally friendly materials, especially anti‐biofouling materials, which combine adjustable mechanical properties, self‐healing, and entirely degradable properties.