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How does cis-polyisoprene give natural rubber its elastic properties?

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Know how researchers created a synthetic material, elastomers, that can change color and texture to specific voltage change, like that of cephalopods — elastomer Learn about elastomers that are changeable in colour and texture, much like the skin of octopuses and other cephalopods. In the elastomers, these changes take place under electrical stimulation.

Natural rubber derives its elastic properties from the molecular structure of cis-1,4 polyisoprene. In its natural state, the long polymer chains of this elastomer exist in an irregularly coiled, disordered arrangement.12

When force is applied, these molecules straighten out in the direction of the pull, allowing the material to be stretched to several times its original length. Upon the release of stress, the molecules spontaneously return to their normal, compact, and random configuration.12

While this molecular flexibility provides inherent elasticity, natural rubber is also "self-reinforcing." When stretched, the molecules readily align into an ordered, crystalline arrangement, which lends additional strength to the material. To improve its performance and prevent the material from becoming too soft when warm or hard when cold, the polymer chains are typically modified through vulcanization. This process creates chemical cross-links between the chains, forming a stable network that prevents the molecules from flowing past one another while maintaining the material's essential resilience.13