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Hou X, Chen J, Chen Z, Yu D, Zhu S, Liu T, Chen L. Flexible Aerogel Materials: A Review on Revolutionary Flexibility Strategies and the Multifunctional Applications. ACS NANO 2024; 18:11525-11559. [PMID: 38655632 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.4c00347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
The design and preparation of flexible aerogel materials with high deformability and versatility have become an emerging research topic in the aerogel fields, as the brittle nature of traditional aerogels severely affects their safety and reliability in use. Herein, we review the preparation methods and properties of flexible aerogels and summarize the various controlling and design methods of aerogels to overcome the fragility caused by high porosity and nanoporous network structure. The mechanical flexibility of aerogels can be revolutionarily improved by monomer regulation, nanofiber assembly, structural design and controlling, and constructing of aerogel composites, which can greatly broaden the multifunctionality and practical application prospects. The design and construction criterion of aerogel flexibility is summarized: constructing a flexible and deformable microstructure in an aerogel matrix. Besides, the derived multifunctional applications in the fields of flexible thermal insulation (flexible thermal protection at extreme temperatures), flexible wearable electronics (flexible sensors, flexible electrodes, electromagnetic shielding, and wave absorption), and environmental protection (oil/water separation and air filtration) are summarized. Furthermore, the future development prospects and challenges of flexible aerogel materials are also summarized. This review will provide a comprehensive research basis and guidance for the structural design, fabrication methods, and potential applications of flexible aerogels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianbo Hou
- College of Aerospace Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400030, People's Republic of China
| | - Jia Chen
- College of Aerospace Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400030, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhilin Chen
- College of Aerospace Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400030, People's Republic of China
| | - Dongqin Yu
- College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, People's Republic of China
| | - Shaowei Zhu
- College of Aerospace Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400030, People's Republic of China
| | - Tao Liu
- College of Aerospace Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400030, People's Republic of China
| | - Liming Chen
- College of Aerospace Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400030, People's Republic of China
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Parale VG, Kim T, Choi H, Phadtare VD, Dhavale RP, Kanamori K, Park HH. Mechanically Strengthened Aerogels through Multiscale, Multicompositional, and Multidimensional Approaches: A Review. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024; 36:e2307772. [PMID: 37916304 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202307772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Revised: 10/29/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023]
Abstract
In recent decades, aerogels have attracted tremendous attention in academia and industry as a class of lightweight and porous multifunctional nanomaterial. Despite their wide application range, the low mechanical durability hinders their processing and handling, particularly in applications requiring complex physical structures. "Mechanically strengthened aerogels" have emerged as a potential solution to address this drawback. Since the first report on aerogels in 1931, various modified synthesis processes have been introduced in the last few decades to enhance the aerogel mechanical strength, further advancing their multifunctional scope. This review summarizes the state-of-the-art developments of mechanically strengthened aerogels through multicompositional and multidimensional approaches. Furthermore, new trends and future directions for as prevailed commercialization of aerogels as plastic materials are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vinayak G Parale
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul, 03722, South Korea
| | - Taehee Kim
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul, 03722, South Korea
| | - Haryeong Choi
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul, 03722, South Korea
| | - Varsha D Phadtare
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul, 03722, South Korea
| | - Rushikesh P Dhavale
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul, 03722, South Korea
| | - Kazuyoshi Kanamori
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan
| | - Hyung-Ho Park
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul, 03722, South Korea
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3
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Zemke F, Scoppola E, Simon U, Bekheet MF, Wagermaier W, Gurlo A. Springback effect of ambient-pressure-dried silica aerogels: nanoscopic effects of silylation revealed by in situ synchrotron X-ray scattering. NANOSCALE ADVANCES 2023; 6:111-125. [PMID: 38125596 PMCID: PMC10729877 DOI: 10.1039/d3na00584d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Ambient pressure drying (APD) allows for synthesizing aerogels without expensive and sophisticated equipment for achieving supercritical conditions. Since APD does not eliminate the capillary stress that is induced by the liquid/vapour phase boundary, the shrinkage during drying needs to be prevented or reversed. The re-expansion of the silylated silica gels during drying is commonly referred to as the springback effect (SBE). The SBE is not only important for producing aerogels via APD, but is also a fascinating phenomenon, since it is accompanied by a significant volume change unusual for rigid ceramics. Synchrotron X-ray scattering has proven to be especially effective for the investigation of the volume change of these fractal silica structures on different length scales. In this work, we follow the drying, shrinkage, and (partial) re-expansion of various monolithic samples in situ to explore the occurrence of the SBE. For this purpose, various silylation agents, i.e., hexamethyldisilazane, trimethylchlorosilane, and triethylchlorosilane were used to investigate different shrinkage and re-expansion behavior. A scattering model was used to extract additional information of the evolving primary particle size, correlation length, fractal dimension, and other intensity contributions of the silica network and the hexane. While the primary particles pointed towards a relaxation at near molecular size, they were likely not involved in the SBE. However, structures near the size of the correlation length could be essential for the occurrence of this phenomenon. These findings may lead to the origin of this interesting phenomenon, as well as a better understanding of the production of APD aerogels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Zemke
- Technische Universität Berlin, Faculty III Process Sciences, Institute of Materials Science and Technology, Chair of Advanced Ceramic Materials Straße des 17. Juni 135 10623 Berlin Germany https://www.tu.berlin/ceramics +49 30 314 22653
| | - Ernesto Scoppola
- Department of Biomaterials, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces Am Mühlenberg 1 14476 Potsdam Germany https://www.mpikg.mpg.de/biomaterials +49 331 567 9259
| | - Ulla Simon
- Technische Universität Berlin, Faculty III Process Sciences, Institute of Materials Science and Technology, Chair of Advanced Ceramic Materials Straße des 17. Juni 135 10623 Berlin Germany https://www.tu.berlin/ceramics +49 30 314 22653
| | - Maged F Bekheet
- Technische Universität Berlin, Faculty III Process Sciences, Institute of Materials Science and Technology, Chair of Advanced Ceramic Materials Straße des 17. Juni 135 10623 Berlin Germany https://www.tu.berlin/ceramics +49 30 314 22653
| | - Wolfgang Wagermaier
- Department of Biomaterials, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces Am Mühlenberg 1 14476 Potsdam Germany https://www.mpikg.mpg.de/biomaterials +49 331 567 9259
| | - Aleksander Gurlo
- Technische Universität Berlin, Faculty III Process Sciences, Institute of Materials Science and Technology, Chair of Advanced Ceramic Materials Straße des 17. Juni 135 10623 Berlin Germany https://www.tu.berlin/ceramics +49 30 314 22653
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Das P, Ganguly S, Saravanan A, Margel S, Gedanken A, Srinivasan S, Rajabzadeh AR. Naturally Derived Carbon Dots In Situ Confined Self-Healing and Breathable Hydrogel Monolith for Anomalous Diffusion-Driven Phytomedicine Release. ACS APPLIED BIO MATERIALS 2022; 5:5617-5633. [PMID: 36480591 DOI: 10.1021/acsabm.2c00664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Fluorescent nanocarbons are well-proficient nanomaterials because of their optical properties and surface engineering. Herein, Apium graveolens-derived carbon dots (ACDs) have been synthesized by a one-step hydrothermal process without using any surplus vigorous chemicals or ligands. ACDs were captured via an in situ gelation reaction to form a semi-interpenetrating polymer network system showing mechanical robustness, fluorescent behavior, and natural adhesivity. ACDs-reinforced hydrogels were tested against robust uniaxial stress, repeated mechanical stretching, thixotropy, low creep, and fast strain recovery, confirming their elastomeric sustainability. Moreover, the room-temperature self-healing behavior was observed for the ACDs-reinforced hydrogels, with a healing efficacy of more than 45%. Water imbibition through hydrogel surfaces was digitally monitored via "breathing" and "accelerated breathing" behaviors. The phytomedicine release from the hydrogels was tuned by the ACDs' microstructure regulatory activity, resulting in better control of the diffusion rate compared to conventional chemical hydrogels. Finally, the phytomedicine-loaded hydrogels were found to be excellent bactericidal materials eradicating more than 85% of Gram-positive and -negative bacteria. The delayed network rupturing, superstretchability, fluorescent self-healing, controlled release, and antibacterial behavior could make this material an excellent alternative to soft biomaterials and soft robotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Poushali Das
- School of Biomedical Engineering, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street, West Hamilton, OntarioL8S 4L8, Canada
| | - Sayan Ganguly
- Department of Chemistry, Bar-Ilan Institute for Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials (BINA), Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan5290002, Israel
| | - Arumugam Saravanan
- Department of Chemistry, Bar-Ilan Institute for Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials (BINA), Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan5290002, Israel
| | - Shlomo Margel
- Department of Chemistry, Bar-Ilan Institute for Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials (BINA), Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan5290002, Israel
| | - Aharon Gedanken
- Department of Chemistry, Bar-Ilan Institute for Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials (BINA), Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan5290002, Israel
| | - Seshasai Srinivasan
- School of Biomedical Engineering, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street, West Hamilton, OntarioL8S 4L8, Canada.,W Booth School of Engineering Practice and Technology, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street, West Hamilton, OntarioL8S 4L7, Canada
| | - Amin Reza Rajabzadeh
- School of Biomedical Engineering, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street, West Hamilton, OntarioL8S 4L8, Canada.,W Booth School of Engineering Practice and Technology, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street, West Hamilton, OntarioL8S 4L7, Canada
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5
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Wang Y, Guo M, Fu H, Wu Z, Zhang Y, Chao G, Chen S, Zhang L, Liu T. Thermotolerant separator of cross-linked polyimide fibers with narrowed pore size for lithium-ion batteries. J Memb Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2022.121004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Li J, Lu Z, Huang J, Hua L. ‘
Rigid‐soft
’ synergistic effects to improve the microstructure and superflexibility properties of aramid nanofiber aerogel. J Appl Polym Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/app.53033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jiaoyang Li
- College of Bioresources Chemical and Materials Engineering Shaanxi University of Science & Technology Xi'an China
| | - Zhaoqing Lu
- College of Bioresources Chemical and Materials Engineering Shaanxi University of Science & Technology Xi'an China
| | - Jizhen Huang
- College of Bioresources Chemical and Materials Engineering Shaanxi University of Science & Technology Xi'an China
| | - Li Hua
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering Shaanxi University of Science & Technology Xi'an China
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Song L, Huang Z, Guo S, Li Y, Wang Q. Hierarchically Architected Polyvinylidene Fluoride Piezoelectric Foam for Boosted Mechanical Energy Harvesting and Self-Powered Sensor. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2021; 13:37252-37261. [PMID: 34318675 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c11158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
With the rapid development of wearable electronics, piezoelectric materials have received great attention owing to their potential solution to the portable power source. To enhance the output capability and broaden the application, it is highly desired for the design of piezoelectric materials with a three-dimensional and porous structure to facilitate strain accumulation. Herein, enlightened by hierarchical structures in nature, a hierarchically nested network was constructed in polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) foam via solid-state shear milling and salt-leaching technology. The as-prepared foam exhibited two hierarchical levels of pores with diameters of 20∼50 μm and 0.3∼4 μm, by which the porosity and flexibility were significantly enhanced, while the highest piezoelectric output reached 11.84 V and 217.78 nA. As a proof-of-concept, the PVDF piezoelectric foam can also be used to monitor human movement toward the different magnitude of strain and frequency, and simultaneously collect energy in a multidimensional stress field for energy harvesting. This work provides a simple and convenient design idea for the preparation of energy harvesters, which have great application potential as a mechanical energy harvester or self-powered sensor in wearable electronic devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Song
- School of Materials Science & Engineering, North Minzu University, Ningxia 750021, China
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Polymer Research Institute of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Zhaoxia Huang
- National Engineering Research Center of Novel Equipment for Polymer Processing; Key Laboratory of Polymer Processing Engineering, Ministry of Education; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Technique and Equipment for Macromolecular Advanced Manufacturing; School of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510641, China
| | - Shengwei Guo
- School of Materials Science & Engineering, North Minzu University, Ningxia 750021, China
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Polymer Research Institute of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Yijun Li
- School of Materials Science & Engineering, North Minzu University, Ningxia 750021, China
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Polymer Research Institute of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Qi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Polymer Research Institute of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
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Zhang T, Zeng S, Jiang H, Li Z, Bai D, Li Y, Li J. Leather Solid Waste/Poly(vinyl alcohol)/Polyaniline Aerogel with Mechanical Robustness, Flame Retardancy, and Enhanced Electromagnetic Interference Shielding. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2021; 13:11332-11343. [PMID: 33625832 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c00880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Renewable biobased aerogels display a promising potential to fulfill the surging demand in various industrial sectors. However, its inherent low mechanical robustness, flammability, and lack of functionality are still huge obstacles in its practical application. Herein, a novel integrated leather solid waste (LSW)/poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/polyaniline (PANI) aerogel with high mechanical robustness, flame retardancy, and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding performance was successfully prepared. Amino carboxyl groups in LSW could be effectively exposed by solid-state shear milling (S3 M) technology to form strong hydrogen-bond interactions with the PVA molecular chains. This led to a change in the compressive strength and the temperature of the initial dimensional change to 15.6 MPa and 112.7 °C at a thickness of 2.5 cm, respectively. Moreover, LSW contains a large number of N elements, which ensures a nitrogen-based flame-retardant mechanism and increase in the limit oxygen index value of LSW/PVA aerogel to 32.0% at a thickness of 2.5 mm. Notably, by the cyclic coating method, a conductive PANI layer could be polymerized on the surface of LSW/PVA aerogel, which led to the construction of a sandwich structure with impressive EMI shielding capability. The EMI shielding effectiveness (SE) reached more than 40 dB, and the specific shielding effectiveness (SSE) reached 73.0 dB cm3 g-1. The inherent dipoles in collagen fibers and the conductive PANI synergistically produced an internal multiple reflection and absorption mechanism. The comprehensive performance of LSW/PVA/PANI aerogel not only demonstrates a new strategy to recycle LSW in a more value-added way but also sheds some more light on the development of biomass aerogels with high-performance, environmentally friendly, and cost-effective properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tongrui Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Polymer Research Institute of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Shulong Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Polymer Research Institute of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Hao Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Polymer Research Institute of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Zeshan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Polymer Research Institute of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Dongyu Bai
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Materials Surface & Interface Science, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Chongqing University of Arts and Sciences, Chongqing 402160, China
| | - Yijun Li
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Polymer Research Institute of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Jianjun Li
- Kingfa Science and Technology Co., Ltd., Guangzhou 510000, China
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Forgács A, Papp V, Paul G, Marchese L, Len A, Dudás Z, Fábián I, Gurikov P, Kalmár J. Mechanism of Hydration and Hydration Induced Structural Changes of Calcium Alginate Aerogel. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2021; 13:2997-3010. [PMID: 33401895 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c17012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The most relevant properties of polysaccharide aerogels in practical applications are determined by their microstructures. Hydration has a dominant role in altering the microstructures of these hydrophilic porous materials. To understand the hydration induced structural changes of monolithic Ca-alginate aerogel, produced by drying fully cross-linked gels with supercritical CO2, the aerogel was gradually hydrated and characterized at different states of hydration by small-angle neutron scattering (SANS), liquid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and magic angle spinning (MAS) NMR spectroscopy. First, the incorporation of structural water and the formation of an extensive hydration sphere mobilize the Ca-alginate macromolecules and induce the rearrangement of the dry-state tertiary and quaternary structures. The primary fibrils of the original aerogel backbone form hydrated fibers and fascicles, resulting in the significant increase of pore size, the smoothing of the nanostructured surface, and the increase of the fractal dimension of the matrix. Because of the formation of these new superstructures in the hydrated backbone, the stiffness and the compressive strength of the aerogel significantly increase compared to its dry-state properties. Further elevation of the water content of the aerogel results in a critical hydration state. The Ca-alginate fibers of the backbone disintegrate into well-hydrated chains, which eventually form a quasi-homogeneous hydrogel-like network. Consequently, the porous structure collapses and the well-defined solid backbone ceases to exist. Even in this hydrogel-like state, the macroscopic integrity of the Ca-alginate monolith is intact. The postulated mechanism accounts for the modification of the macroscopic properties of Ca-alginate aerogel in relation to both humid and aqueous environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Attila Forgács
- Department of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, University of Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1, Debrecen H-4032, Hungary
- MTA-DE Redox and Homogeneous Catalytic Reaction Mechanisms Research Group, Egyetem tér 1, Debrecen H-4032, Hungary
| | - Vanda Papp
- Department of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, University of Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1, Debrecen H-4032, Hungary
| | - Geo Paul
- Department of Science and Technological Innovation, Universitá del Piemonte Orientale, Viale T. Michel 11, 15121 Alessandria, Italy
| | - Leonardo Marchese
- Department of Science and Technological Innovation, Universitá del Piemonte Orientale, Viale T. Michel 11, 15121 Alessandria, Italy
| | - Adél Len
- Neutron Spectroscopy Department, Centre for Energy Research, Konkoly-Thege Miklós út 29-33, Budapest H-1121, Hungary
| | - Zoltán Dudás
- Neutron Spectroscopy Department, Centre for Energy Research, Konkoly-Thege Miklós út 29-33, Budapest H-1121, Hungary
| | - István Fábián
- Department of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, University of Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1, Debrecen H-4032, Hungary
- MTA-DE Redox and Homogeneous Catalytic Reaction Mechanisms Research Group, Egyetem tér 1, Debrecen H-4032, Hungary
| | - Pavel Gurikov
- Laboratory for Development and Modelling of Novel Nanoporous Materials, Hamburg University of Technology, Eißendorfer Straße 38, 21073 Hamburg, Germany
| | - József Kalmár
- Department of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, University of Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1, Debrecen H-4032, Hungary
- MTA-DE Redox and Homogeneous Catalytic Reaction Mechanisms Research Group, Egyetem tér 1, Debrecen H-4032, Hungary
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Ganguly S, Das P, Itzhaki E, Hadad E, Gedanken A, Margel S. Microwave-Synthesized Polysaccharide-Derived Carbon Dots as Therapeutic Cargoes and Toughening Agents for Elastomeric Gels. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2020; 12:51940-51951. [PMID: 33156599 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c14527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Fluorescent carbon dots (CDs) play a versatile role in materials science. Herein, we have developed alginate-derived nitrogen-doped CDs as a drug carrier and a toughening agent for hydrogels by a microwave-assisted method. In the first phase of work, we carried out covalent conjugation of the drug onto the CD surface for controlled delivery of drug molecules, and in the second phase of work, we demonstrated how CDs could act as a toughening agent as well as a viscosity modifier for poly(acrylic acid-co-methacrylamide) copolymer hydrogels. The hydrogels were evaluated by Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance. The hybrid hydrogels have been tested to be mechanically robust with extraordinary stretchability (∼1200% elongation at break), recoverable to the original position (low permanent set), tunable water uptake, and thixotropic character in dynamic stress. The crosslinked structure has been evaluated through void calculation revealing gradual densification of the network with increasing CD content. Exceptional gel strength (ratio of elastic modulus to loss modulus; G'/G″) has been achieved from analogous crosslinking made by CDs. The delayed network rupturing and superstretchability could make this material a good choice for soft biomaterials and soft robotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sayan Ganguly
- Bar-Ilan Institute for Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials, Department of Chemistry, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 52900, Israel
| | - Poushali Das
- Bar-Ilan Institute for Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials, Department of Chemistry, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 52900, Israel
| | - Ella Itzhaki
- Bar-Ilan Institute for Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials, Department of Chemistry, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 52900, Israel
| | - Elad Hadad
- Bar-Ilan Institute for Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials, Department of Chemistry, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 52900, Israel
| | - Aharon Gedanken
- Bar-Ilan Institute for Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials, Department of Chemistry, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 52900, Israel
| | - Shlomo Margel
- Bar-Ilan Institute for Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials, Department of Chemistry, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 52900, Israel
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