Controlled Tensile Behavior of Pre-Cured PDMS via Advanced Bonding Techniques

Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is extensively employed in applications ranging from flexible electronics to microfluidics due to its elasticity, transparency, and biocompatibility. However, enhancing interfacial adhesion and tensile properties remains a challenge for applications demanding high mechanical stability. To this end, this study introduced a novel bonding technique using crosslinkers as adhesive layers to improve the mechanical performance of PDMS. By adjusting the crosslink density at the PDMS-PDMS interfaces, we achieved substantial improvements in tensile properties and interfacial adhesion. Our findings revealed that, under specific conditions, a particular mixing ratio significantly enhances the elastic modulus and interfacial stability. Notably, the elastic modulus of PDMS with a tailored crosslink density increased by approximately 760% compared to that achieved with a simple bonding method. This study demonstrated an effective strategy for tailoring the interfacial properties of PDMS by adjusting the crosslink density, offering a pathway to enhance material design for applications requiring advanced mechanical performance and stability.