Hydrogen-bonding-assisted toughening of hierarchical carboxymethyl cellulose hydrogels for biomechanical sensing

The Diels-Alder Cross-Linked Gelatin/Dextran Nanocomposite Hydrogels with Silver Nanoparticles for Wound Healing Applications: Synthesis, Characterization, and In Vitro Evaluation

Wound healing involves a sophisticated biological process that relies on ideal conditions to advance through various stages of repair. Modern wound dressings are designed to imitate the natural surroundings around cells and offer properties such as moisture regulation, strength, and antimicrobial defense to boost healing. A recent research project unveiled a new type of gelatin (Gel)/dextran (Dex) hydrogels, linked through Diels-Alder (D-A) reactions, loaded with silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) for cutting-edge wound treatment. Gel and Dex were chemically modified to form the hydrogels via the D-A reaction. The hydrogels were enriched with Ag-NPs at varying levels. Thorough analyses of the hydrogels using methods like NMR, FT-IR, and SEM were carried out to assess their structure and nanoparticle integration. Rheological tests displayed that the hydrogels had favorable mechanical attributes, particularly when Ag-NPs were included. The hydrogels demonstrated controlled swelling, responsiveness to pH changes, and were non-toxic. Testing against E. coli showcased the strong antibacterial activity of the nanocomposite hydrogels in a concentration-dependent manner. This investigation showcased the promise of these bioactive nanocomposite hydrogels in promoting speedy wound healing by maintaining a moist environment, offering an antimicrobial shield, and ensuring mechanical support at the wound site.

Strong and tough poly(vinyl alcohol)/xanthan gum-based ionic conducting hydrogel enabled through the synergistic effect of ion cross-linking and salting out

The mechanical properties of ionic conductive hydrogels (ICHs) are generally inadequate, leading to their susceptibility to breakage under external forces and consequently resulting in the failure of flexible electronic devices. In this work, a simple and convenient strategy was proposed based on the synergistic effect of ion cross-linking and salting out, in which the hydrogels consisting of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and xanthan gum (XG) were immersed in zinc sulfate (ZnSO4) solution to obtain ICHs with exceptional mechanical properties. The salt-out effects between PVA chains and SO42- ions along with the cross-linked network of XG chains and Zn2+ ions contribute to the desirable mechanical properties of ICHs. Notably, the mechanical properties of ICHs can be adjusted by changing the concentration of ZnSO4 solution. Consequently, the optimum fracture stress and the fracture energy can reach 3.38 MPa and 12.13 KJ m-2, respectively. Moreover, the ICHs demonstrated a favorable sensitivity (up to 2.05) when utilized as a strain sensor, exhibiting an accurate detection of human body movements across various amplitudes.

Multifunctional, Self-Adhesive MXene-Based Hydrogel Flexible Strain Sensors for Hand-Written Digit Recognition with Assistance of Deep Learning

The conductive hydrogel as a flexible sensor not only has certain mechanical flexibility but also can be used in the field of human health detection and human-computer interaction. Herein, by introduction of tannic acid (TA) with MXene into the polyacrylamide (PAM)/carboxymethyl chitosan (CMC) double-network hydrogel, a hydrogel with high stretchability, self-adhesion, and high sensitivity was prepared. CMC and PAM form a semi-interpenetrating double-network of high toughness and durability through electrostatic interactions and multiple hydrogen bonding networks. The abundant hydrophilic functional groups on TA and MXene form multiple hydrogen bonds simultaneously with the polymer network, ensuring high stretchability and sensitivity of the hydrogel. The hydrogel can display an accurate response to a variety of stimulus signals and can monitor both human joint movements and small physiological signal changes. It can also be combined with deep learning algorithms to classify handwritten digits with an accuracy rate of 98%. This work can promote the application of hydrogel sensors with durability and high sensitivity. The combination of algorithms and flexible sensors provides important ideas for the further development of flexible devices.

Muscle-inspired anisotropic carboxymethyl cellulose-based double-network conductive hydrogels for flexible strain sensors

Conductive hydrogels are considered one of the most promising materials for preparing flexible sensors due to their flexible and extensible properties. However, conventional hydrogels' weak mechanical and isotropic properties are greatly limited in practical applications. Here, the internal structure of the hydrogel was regulated by pre-stretching synergistic ion crosslinking to construct a carboxymethyl cellulose-based double network-oriented hydrogel similar to muscle. The introduction of pre-stretching increased the tensile strength of the double-network hydrogel from 1.45 MPa to 4.32 MPa, and its light transmittance increased from 67.3 % to 84.5 %. In addition, the hydrogel's thermal stability and electrical conductivity were improved to a certain extent. Its good mechanical properties and conductive properties can be converted into stable electrical signal output during deformation. The carboxymethyl cellulose-based double network oriented hydrogels were further assembled as flexible substrates into flexible sensor devices. The hydrogel sensors can monitor simple joint movements as well as complex spatial movements, which makes them have potential application value in the research field of intelligent response electronic devices such as flexible wearables, intelligent strain sensing, and soft robots.

Super-tough and self-healable all-cellulose-based electrolyte for fast degradable quasi-solid-state supercapacitor

Recyclable and degradable supercapacitors have promising applications for a sustainable energy storage industry. Herein, we prepare a dual-physical crosslinking (DP) carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) hydrogel with high-toughness, healability, and electric conductivity by integrating abundant ions into the matrix. The prepared hydrogel displays a maximum compressive fracture stress of 4.42 MPa, fast healing in five seconds, and full degradation within eight days. Moreover, the fabricated supercapacitor shows high specific capacitance (309 F g^-1) and volumetric capacitance (2.60 F cm^-3). The supercapacitor achieves a healing efficiency of 93.9 % after five cuttings, and exhibits a cycling stability of 84.6 % capacitance retention after 1000 cycles. These merits ensure that the all-cellulose-based supercapacitor can operate in case of sudden collision and deformation, which contribute to reducing the environmental hazards from supercapacitor's preparation to its abandonment.

Recent Advances in Cellulose-Based Hydrogels: Food Applications

In the past couple of years, cellulose has attracted a significant amount of attention and research interest due to the fact that it is the most abundant and renewable source of hydrogels. With increasing environmental issues and an emerging demand, researchers around the world are focusing on naturally produced hydrogels in particular due to their biocompatibility, biodegradability, and abundance. Hydrogels are three-dimensional (3D) networks created by chemically or physically crosslinking linear (or branching) hydrophilic polymer molecules. Hydrogels have a high capacity to absorb water and biological fluids. Although hydrogels have been widely used in food applications, the majority of them are not biodegradable. Because of their functional characteristics, cellulose-based hydrogels (CBHs) are currently utilized as an important factor for different aspects in the food industry. Cellulose-based hydrogels have been extensively studied in the fields of food packaging, functional food, food safety, and drug delivery due to their structural interchangeability and stimuli-responsive properties. This article addresses the sources of CBHs, types of cellulose, and preparation methods of the hydrogel as well as the most recent developments and uses of cellulose-based hydrogels in the food processing sector. In addition, information regarding the improvement of edible and functional CBHs was discussed, along with potential research opportunities and possibilities. Finally, CBHs could be effectively used in the industry of food processing for the aforementioned reasons.