The article "Toughening Elastomers with Sacrificial Bonds and Watching Them Break" by E. Ducrot, Y. Chen, M. Bulters, R. P. Sijbesma, and C. Creton explores a novel method to enhance the mechanical strength and toughness of unfilled elastomers. The authors introduce sacrificial bonds, specifically chemoluminescent cross-linking molecules, which break and dissipate energy before the material fails, significantly improving its stiffness and toughness. By varying the degree of prestretching and the volume fraction of these sacrificial chains, the material's properties can be tuned over a wide range. The study also demonstrates how these sacrificial bonds break in real time using chemoluminescence, providing insights into the fracture mechanism and guiding the design of new tough elastomers. This approach has potential applications in various industrial fields, such as tires, seals, and gloves, where large-strain reversible deformability is crucial.The article "Toughening Elastomers with Sacrificial Bonds and Watching Them Break" by E. Ducrot, Y. Chen, M. Bulters, R. P. Sijbesma, and C. Creton explores a novel method to enhance the mechanical strength and toughness of unfilled elastomers. The authors introduce sacrificial bonds, specifically chemoluminescent cross-linking molecules, which break and dissipate energy before the material fails, significantly improving its stiffness and toughness. By varying the degree of prestretching and the volume fraction of these sacrificial chains, the material's properties can be tuned over a wide range. The study also demonstrates how these sacrificial bonds break in real time using chemoluminescence, providing insights into the fracture mechanism and guiding the design of new tough elastomers. This approach has potential applications in various industrial fields, such as tires, seals, and gloves, where large-strain reversible deformability is crucial.