1
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Zhu R, Zheng Z, Zhu D, Wang X. Hydrogels with high sacrifice efficiency of sacrificial bonds and with high strength and toughness due to dense entanglements of polymer chains. J Colloid Interface Sci 2024; 677:687-696. [PMID: 39116566 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2024.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2024] [Revised: 08/01/2024] [Accepted: 08/02/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024]
Abstract
Introducing sacrificial bonds is a common method for increasing the toughness of hydrogels. Many sacrificial bonds have been extensively investigated, but the sacrifice efficiency has never been studied. In this study, polyacrylamide hydrogels with highly entangled polymer chains containing carboxyl-zirconium (-COO--Zr4+) sacrificial bonds are prepared to study the effect of polymer chain entanglement on the sacrificial bond efficiency. Unlike chemical crosslinking points, the dense physical entanglements do not affect the toughness (∼43 MJ/m3) of hydrogels but significantly improve the tensile strength (by two times) and Young's modulus (by six times). Physical entanglements enable the chains to slide and adjust the network structure under stress, which enables more polymer chains and sacrificial bonds to participate in the deformation process. Therefore, dense entanglements will greatly improve the sacrifice efficiency. However, a high density of chemical crosslinking points will limit the improvement in the sacrifice efficiency, which is attributed to the sliding limitations because of physical entanglement. The highly entangled polyacrylamide hydrogels toughened by -COO--Zr4+ have an excellent load-bearing capacity. This study provides a novel strategy for designing hydrogels with ultra-high strength and toughness, which paves the way for the development of many hydrogels used in engineering materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruixin Zhu
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Zhen Zheng
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Dandan Zhu
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.
| | - Xinling Wang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China; State Key Laboratory of Metal Matrix Composites, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.
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2
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Du Y, Wang D. One-Pot Preparation of Double-Network Epoxy Vitrimers with High Performance, Recyclability, and Two-Stage Stress Relaxation. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2024. [PMID: 39042785 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.4c09123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/25/2024]
Abstract
Although considerable progress has been made in developing different types of vitrimers, ongoing challenges remain in tuning their mechanical and rheological properties, self-healing, and adhesion. Here, we demonstrate a one-pot method to produce a novel double-network epoxy vitrimer using an aliphatic amine cross-linker with a siloxane covalent bond and an aromatic amine cross-linker with a disulfide covalent bond. When a controlled two-stage curing process is employed, the markedly different reactivities of aliphatic amine and aromatic amine with epoxy allow for sequential cross-linked network formation, leading to the development of a double network that incorporates two types of dynamic covalent bonds. As a result, the produced vitrimers exhibit controllable mechanical, thermal, and rheological properties, as well as recyclability. This is evidenced by a tensile strength as high as 72 MPa, while maintaining ∼10% elongation at break, a wide glass-transition temperature range from 91 to 171 °C, and an adjustable two-stage stress relaxation. These characteristics suggest opportunities to develop high-performance cross-linked polymers with specific responses to time and temperatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuetian Du
- State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites & Beijing Key Laboratory of Advanced Functional Polymer Composites, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Dong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites & Beijing Key Laboratory of Advanced Functional Polymer Composites, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
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3
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Xu Z, Lu J, Lu D, Li Y, Lei H, Chen B, Li W, Xue B, Cao Y, Wang W. Rapidly damping hydrogels engineered through molecular friction. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4895. [PMID: 38851753 PMCID: PMC11162443 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49239-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Hydrogels capable of swift mechanical energy dissipation hold promise for a range of applications including impact protection, shock absorption, and enhanced damage resistance. Traditional energy absorption in such materials typically relies on viscoelastic mechanisms, involving sacrificial bond breakage, yet often suffers from prolonged recovery times. Here, we introduce a hydrogel designed for friction-based damping. This hydrogel features an internal structure that facilitates the motion of a chain walker within its network, effectively dissipating mechanical stress. The hydrogel network architecture allows for rapid restoration of its damping capacity, often within seconds, ensuring swift material recovery post-deformation. We further demonstrate that this hydrogel can significantly shield encapsulated cells from mechanical trauma under repetitive compression, owing to its proficient energy damping and rapid rebound characteristics. Therefore, this hydrogel has potential for dynamic load applications like artificial muscles and synthetic cartilage, expanding the use of hydrogel dampers in biomechanics and related areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengyu Xu
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructure, Department of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China
- Institute for Brain Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China
| | - Jiajun Lu
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructure, Department of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China
| | - Di Lu
- Department of Engineering Mechanics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China
| | - Yiran Li
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructure, Department of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China
| | - Hai Lei
- School of Physics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China
| | - Bin Chen
- Department of Engineering Mechanics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China
| | - Wenfei Li
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructure, Department of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China
- Institute for Brain Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China
| | - Bin Xue
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructure, Department of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China.
| | - Yi Cao
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructure, Department of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China.
- Institute for Brain Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China.
- Chemistry and Biomedicine innovation center, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China.
| | - Wei Wang
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructure, Department of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China.
- Institute for Brain Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China.
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4
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Chu Z, He K, Huang S, Zhang W, Li X, Cui K. Investigating Temperature-Dependent Microscopic Deformation in Tough and Self-Healing Hydrogel Using Time-Resolved USAXS. Macromol Rapid Commun 2024:e2400327. [PMID: 38837533 DOI: 10.1002/marc.202400327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2024] [Revised: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
Tough and self-healing hydrogels are typically sensitive to loading rates or temperatures due to the dynamic nature of noncovalent bonds. Understanding the structure evolution under varying loading conditions can provide valuable insights for developing new tough soft materials. In this study, polyampholyte (PA) hydrogel with a hierarchical structure is used as a model system. The evolution of the microscopic structure during loading is investigated under varied loading temperatures. By combining ultra-small angle X-ray scattering (USAXS) and Mooney-Rivlin analysis, it is elucidated that the deformation of bicontinuous hard/soft phase networks is closely correlated with the relaxation dynamics or strength of noncovalent bonds. At high loading temperatures, the gel is soft and ductile, and large affine deformation of the phase-separated networks is observed, correlated with the fast relaxation dynamics of noncovalent bonds. At low loading temperatures, the gel is stiff, and nonaffine deformation occurs from the onset of loading due to the substantial breaking of noncovalent bonds and limited chain mobility as well as weak adaptation of phase deformation to external stretch. This work provides an in-depth understanding of the relationship between structure and performance of tough and self-healing hydrogels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaoyang Chu
- National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
- Anhui Provincial Engineering Laboratory of Advanced Functional Polymer Film, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
| | - Kaining He
- Anhui Provincial Engineering Laboratory of Advanced Functional Polymer Film, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Soft Matter Chemistry, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
- Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
| | - Siqi Huang
- Anhui Provincial Engineering Laboratory of Advanced Functional Polymer Film, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Soft Matter Chemistry, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
- Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
| | - Wenhua Zhang
- National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
| | - Xueyu Li
- Laboratory of Soft & Wet Matter, Faculty of Advanced Life Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 001-0021, Japan
| | - Kunpeng Cui
- Anhui Provincial Engineering Laboratory of Advanced Functional Polymer Film, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Soft Matter Chemistry, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
- Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
- Key Laboratory of Precision and Intelligent Chemistry, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, China
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5
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Wang XQ, Xie AQ, Cao P, Yang J, Ong WL, Zhang KQ, Ho GW. Structuring and Shaping of Mechanically Robust and Functional Hydrogels toward Wearable and Implantable Applications. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024; 36:e2309952. [PMID: 38389497 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202309952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Revised: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Hydrogels possess unique features such as softness, wetness, responsiveness, and biocompatibility, making them highly suitable for biointegrated applications that have close interactions with living organisms. However, conventional man-made hydrogels are usually soft and brittle, making them inferior to the mechanically robust biological hydrogels. To ensure reliable and durable operation of biointegrated wearable and implantable devices, mechanical matching and shape adaptivity of hydrogels to tissues and organs are essential. Recent advances in polymer science and processing technologies have enabled mechanical engineering and shaping of hydrogels for various biointegrated applications. In this review, polymer network structuring strategies at micro/nanoscales for toughening hydrogels are summarized, and representative mechanical functionalities that exist in biological materials but are not easily achieved in synthetic hydrogels are further discussed. Three categories of processing technologies, namely, 3D printing, spinning, and coating for fabrication of tough hydrogel constructs with complex shapes are reviewed, and the corresponding hydrogel toughening strategies are also highlighted. These developments enable adaptive fabrication of mechanically robust and functional hydrogel devices, and promote application of hydrogels in the fields of biomedical engineering, bioelectronics, and soft robotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Qiao Wang
- National Engineering Laboratory for Modern Silk, College of Textile and Clothing Engineering, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - An-Quan Xie
- National Engineering Laboratory for Modern Silk, College of Textile and Clothing Engineering, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Pengle Cao
- National Engineering Laboratory for Modern Silk, College of Textile and Clothing Engineering, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Jian Yang
- National Engineering Laboratory for Modern Silk, College of Textile and Clothing Engineering, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Wei Li Ong
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 3, Singapore, 117583, Singapore
| | - Ke-Qin Zhang
- National Engineering Laboratory for Modern Silk, College of Textile and Clothing Engineering, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Ghim Wei Ho
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 3, Singapore, 117583, Singapore
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6
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Su W, Yang Q, Li T, Xu J, Yin P, Han M, Lin Z, Deng Y, Wu Y, Huang W, Wang L. Electrospun Aligned Nanofiber Yarns Constructed Biomimetic M-Type Interface Integrated into Precise Co-Culture System as Muscle-Tendon Junction-on-a-Chip for Drug Development. SMALL METHODS 2024:e2301754. [PMID: 38593371 DOI: 10.1002/smtd.202301754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
The incorporation of engineered muscle-tendon junction (MTJ) with organ-on-a-chip technology provides promising in vitro models for the understanding of cell-cell interaction at the interface between muscle and tendon tissues. However, developing engineered MTJ tissue with biomimetic anatomical interface structure remains challenging, and the precise co-culture of engineered interface tissue is further regarded as a remarkable obstacle. Herein, an interwoven waving approach is presented to develop engineered MTJ tissue with a biomimetic "M-type" interface structure, and further integrated into a precise co-culture microfluidic device for functional MTJ-on-a-chip fabrication. These multiscale MTJ scaffolds based on electrospun nanofiber yarns enabled 3D cellular alignment and differentiation, and the "M-type" structure led to cellular organization and interaction at the interface zone. Crucially, a compartmentalized co-culture system is integrated into an MTJ-on-a-chip device for the precise co-culture of muscle and tendon zones using their medium at the same time. Such an MTJ-on-a-chip device is further served for drug-associated MTJ toxic or protective efficacy investigations. These results highlight that these interwoven nanofibrous scaffolds with biomimetic "M-type" interface are beneficial for engineered MTJ tissue development, and MTJ-on-a-chip with precise co-culture system indicated their promising potential as in vitro musculoskeletal models for drug development and biological mechanism studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiwei Su
- Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Translation of Medical 3D Printing Application, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Digital Medicine and Biomechanics, National Key Discipline of Human Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Qiao Yang
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510515, China
| | - Ting Li
- Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Translation of Medical 3D Printing Application, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Digital Medicine and Biomechanics, National Key Discipline of Human Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Jie Xu
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510515, China
| | - Panjing Yin
- Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Translation of Medical 3D Printing Application, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Digital Medicine and Biomechanics, National Key Discipline of Human Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Mingying Han
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510515, China
| | - Zhuosheng Lin
- Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Translation of Medical 3D Printing Application, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Digital Medicine and Biomechanics, National Key Discipline of Human Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Yuping Deng
- Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Translation of Medical 3D Printing Application, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Digital Medicine and Biomechanics, National Key Discipline of Human Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Yaobin Wu
- Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Translation of Medical 3D Printing Application, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Digital Medicine and Biomechanics, National Key Discipline of Human Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Wenhua Huang
- Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Translation of Medical 3D Printing Application, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Digital Medicine and Biomechanics, National Key Discipline of Human Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
- Department of Orthopedics, Affiliated Hospital of Putian University, Putian, 351100, China
| | - Ling Wang
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510515, China
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7
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Lv D, Li X, Huang X, Cao C, Ai L, Wang X, Ravi SK, Yao X. Microphase-Separated Elastic and Ultrastretchable Ionogel for Reliable Ionic Skin with Multimodal Sensation. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024; 36:e2309821. [PMID: 37993105 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202309821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023]
Abstract
Bioinspired artificial skins integrated with reliable human-machine interfaces and stretchable electronic systems have attracted considerable attention. However, the current design faces difficulties in simultaneously achieving satisfactory skin-like mechanical compliance and self-powered multimodal sensing. Here, this work reports a microphase-separated bicontinuous ionogel which possesses skin-like mechanical properties and mimics the multimodal sensing ability of biological skin by ion-driven stimuli-electricity conversion. The ionogel exhibits excellent elasticity and ionic conductivity, high toughness, and ultrastretchability, as well as a Young's modulus similar to that of human skin. Leveraging the ion-polymer interactions enabled selective ion transport, the ionogel can output pulsing or continuous electrical signals in response to diverse stimuli such as strain, touch pressure, and temperature sensitively, demonstrating a unique self-powered multimodal sensing. Furthermore, the ionogel-based I-skin can concurrently sense different stimuli and decouple the variations of the stimuli from the voltage signals with the assistance of a machine-learning model. The ease of fabrication, wide tunability, self-powered multimodal sensing, and the excellent environmental tolerance of the ionogels demonstrate a new strategy in the development of next-generation soft smart mechano-transduction devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Lv
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Xin Li
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Xin Huang
- Institute of Chemical Materials, China Academy of Engineering Physics (CAEP), Mianyang, 621900, China
| | - Chunyan Cao
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Liqing Ai
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Xuejiao Wang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Sai Kishore Ravi
- School of Energy and Environment, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Xi Yao
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 999077, China
- City University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, 518075, China
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8
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Chen S, Li D, Wen Y, Peng G, Ye K, Huang Y, Long S, Li X. Polyelectrolyte Complex Hydrogels from Controlled Kneading and Annealing-Induced Tightly Wound and Highly Entangled Natural Polysaccharides. Adv Healthc Mater 2024; 13:e2302973. [PMID: 38011349 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202302973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Hydrogels usually are fabricated by using monomers or preexisting polymers in precursor solutions. Here, a polyelectrolyte complex biohydrogel (Bio-PEC hydrogel) made from a precursor dough, by kneading, annealing, and crosslinking the dough of two oppositely charged polysaccharides, cationic chitosan quaternary ammonium salt (HACC) and anionic sodium hyaluronate (HA), photoinitiator (α-ketoglutaric acid), crosslinker glycidyl methacrylate (GMA), and water of very small quantity is reported. Controlled kneading and annealing homogenized the dough with respect to transforming randomly distributed, individual polymer chains into tightly wound double-stranded structures, which, upon UV irradiation, covalently sparsely crosslinked into a highly entangled network and subsequently, upon fully swollen in water, results in Bio-PEC hydrogel, HACC/HA, exhibiting near-perfect elasticity, high tensile strength, and high swelling resistance. Via the same kneading and annealing, tetracarboxyphenylporphyrin iron (Fe-TCPP) metal nanoclusters are incorporated into HACC/HA to obtain photocatalytic, antibacterial, and biocompatible Bio-PEC hydrogel composite, Fe-TCPP@HACC/HA. Using SD rat models, the efficacy of Fe-TCPP@HACC/HA in inhibiting Escherichia coli (E. coli) growth in vitro and the ability to promote wound healing and scar-free skin regeneration in vivo, or its high potential as a wound dressing material for biomedical applications are demonstrated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shunlan Chen
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Green Materials for Light Industry, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, China
| | - Dapeng Li
- Bioengineering Department, College of Engineering, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, North Dartmouth, Bristol County, MA, 02747-2300, USA
| | - Ying Wen
- Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430060, China
| | - Gege Peng
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Green Materials for Light Industry, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, China
| | - Kexin Ye
- Department of Chemistry, University College London, 20 Gordon St, London, WC1H 0AJ, UK
| | - Yiwan Huang
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Green Materials for Light Industry, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, China
- New Materials and Green Manufacturing Talent Introduction and Innovation Demonstration Base, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, China
| | - Shijun Long
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Green Materials for Light Industry, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, China
- New Materials and Green Manufacturing Talent Introduction and Innovation Demonstration Base, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, China
| | - Xuefeng Li
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Green Materials for Light Industry, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, China
- New Materials and Green Manufacturing Talent Introduction and Innovation Demonstration Base, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, China
- Hubei Longzhong Laboratory, Xiangyang, 441000, China
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9
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Wang M, Dickey MD. Tear-resistant stretchy gels. NATURE MATERIALS 2024; 23:29-30. [PMID: 38129576 DOI: 10.1038/s41563-023-01764-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Meixiang Wang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Michael D Dickey
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA.
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10
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Li X, Cui K, Zheng Y, Ye YN, Yu C, Yang W, Nakajima T, Gong JP. Role of hierarchy structure on the mechanical adaptation of self-healing hydrogels under cyclic stretching. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadj6856. [PMID: 38117876 PMCID: PMC10732516 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adj6856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/22/2023]
Abstract
Soft materials with mechanical adaptability have substantial potential for various applications in tissue engineering. Gaining a deep understanding of the structural evolution and adaptation dynamics of soft materials subjected to cyclic stretching gives insight into developing mechanically adaptive materials. Here, we investigate the effect of hierarchy structure on the mechanical adaptation of self-healing hydrogels under cyclic stretching training. A polyampholyte hydrogel, composed of hierarchical structures including ionic bonds, transient and permanent polymer networks, and bicontinuous hard/soft-phase networks, is adopted as a model. Conditions for effective training, mild overtraining, and fatal overtraining are demonstrated in soft materials. We further reveal that mesoscale hard/soft-phase networks dominate the long-term memory effect of training and play a crucial role in the asymmetric dynamics of compliance changes and the symmetric dynamics of hydrogel shape evolution. Our findings provide insights into the design of hierarchical structures for adaptive soft materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueyu Li
- Laboratory of Soft and Wet Matter, Faculty of Advanced Life Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 001-0021, Japan
| | - Kunpeng Cui
- Institute for Chemical Reaction Design and Discovery (WPI-ICReDD), Hokkaido University, Sapporo 001-0021, Japan
- Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Yong Zheng
- Institute for Chemical Reaction Design and Discovery (WPI-ICReDD), Hokkaido University, Sapporo 001-0021, Japan
| | - Ya Nan Ye
- Laboratory of Soft and Wet Matter, Faculty of Advanced Life Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 001-0021, Japan
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, China
| | - Chengtao Yu
- Laboratory of Soft and Wet Matter, Division of Soft Matter, Graduate School of Life Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0810, Japan
- Institute of Zhejiang University-Quzhou, Quzhou 324000, China
| | - Wenqi Yang
- Laboratory of Soft and Wet Matter, Division of Soft Matter, Graduate School of Life Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0810, Japan
| | - Tasuku Nakajima
- Laboratory of Soft and Wet Matter, Faculty of Advanced Life Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 001-0021, Japan
- Institute for Chemical Reaction Design and Discovery (WPI-ICReDD), Hokkaido University, Sapporo 001-0021, Japan
| | - Jian Ping Gong
- Laboratory of Soft and Wet Matter, Faculty of Advanced Life Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 001-0021, Japan
- Institute for Chemical Reaction Design and Discovery (WPI-ICReDD), Hokkaido University, Sapporo 001-0021, Japan
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11
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Lu S, Ma Z, Qin L, Ding M, Wang Z, Liu J, Zhang R, Zhang Y, Dong G. Effect of molecular helical structure on self-growing and damping of single network κ-carrageenan hydrogel. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 249:126082. [PMID: 37536410 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.126082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/29/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
Molecular helical is ubiquitous in molecular structures, however, the impact of the structure on mechanical properties has yet to be extensively studied. In this study, we synthesized a single network κ-carrageenan (KC) hydrogel with the molecular double helix structure, and elucidated its unique self-enhancing and damping properties from a molecular structural perspective. During cycle tensile tests, the helical structure was stretched and entangled to form a directional arrangement, increasing the elastic modulus and achieving 'self-reinforcement'. Meanwhile, the molecular helices have a spring-like damping effect, allowing the hydrogel to dampen low-frequency noise while transmitting high-frequency signals. By utilizing the hydrogel to create electrodes for electrocardiogram (ECG) detection, we were able to effectively filter out noise generated by movements while retaining necessary signals. Our work thus presents a potential pathway bridging from microscopic molecular structure to macroscopic mechanical properties of materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shan Lu
- Key Laboratory of Education Ministry for Modern Design and Rotor-Bearing System, Institute of Design Science and Basic Components, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China.
| | - Zeyu Ma
- Key Laboratory of Education Ministry for Modern Design and Rotor-Bearing System, Institute of Design Science and Basic Components, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China.
| | - Liguo Qin
- Key Laboratory of Education Ministry for Modern Design and Rotor-Bearing System, Institute of Design Science and Basic Components, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China.
| | - Mingwei Ding
- Key Laboratory of Education Ministry for Modern Design and Rotor-Bearing System, Institute of Design Science and Basic Components, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China
| | - Zheng Wang
- Key Laboratory of Education Ministry for Modern Design and Rotor-Bearing System, Institute of Design Science and Basic Components, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China.
| | - Jianbo Liu
- Key Laboratory of Education Ministry for Modern Design and Rotor-Bearing System, Institute of Design Science and Basic Components, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China.
| | - Rui Zhang
- Xi'an Microelectronics Technology Institute, Xi'an 710054, China
| | - Yali Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China.
| | - Guangneng Dong
- Key Laboratory of Education Ministry for Modern Design and Rotor-Bearing System, Institute of Design Science and Basic Components, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China.
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12
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Liu YF, Wang W, Chen XF. Progress and prospects in flexible tactile sensors. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1264563. [PMID: 37829569 PMCID: PMC10565956 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1264563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Flexible tactile sensors have the advantages of large deformation detection, high fault tolerance, and excellent conformability, which enable conformal integration onto the complex surface of human skin for long-term bio-signal monitoring. The breakthrough of flexible tactile sensors rather than conventional tactile sensors greatly expanded application scenarios. Flexible tactile sensors are applied in fields including not only intelligent wearable devices for gaming but also electronic skins, disease diagnosis devices, health monitoring devices, intelligent neck pillows, and intelligent massage devices in the medical field; intelligent bracelets and metaverse gloves in the consumer field; as well as even brain-computer interfaces. Therefore, it is necessary to provide an overview of the current technological level and future development of flexible tactile sensors to ease and expedite their deployment and to make the critical transition from the laboratory to the market. This paper discusses the materials and preparation technologies of flexible tactile sensors, summarizing various applications in human signal monitoring, robotic tactile sensing, and human-machine interaction. Finally, the current challenges on flexible tactile sensors are also briefly discussed, providing some prospects for future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya-Feng Liu
- College of Artificial Intelligence, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- College of Aerospace Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing 2D Materials Institute, Chongqing, China
| | - Wei Wang
- College of Artificial Intelligence, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xu-Fang Chen
- College of Artificial Intelligence, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
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13
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Lv C, Guo H, Yang E, Xu C, Yan Q, Meng L, Li L, Cui K. Multiscale Relaxation Behavior of Amorphous Plasticized Poly(vinyl butyral). Macromol Rapid Commun 2023; 44:e2300226. [PMID: 37340957 DOI: 10.1002/marc.202300226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Revised: 06/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023]
Abstract
As a key component in laminated glass, plasticized polyvinyl butyral (PVB) interlayer is a kind of impact-resistant polymer material with high toughness. Recently, by using ultrasmall angle X-ray scattering (USAXS) technique, Stretch-induced phase-separated structure on the scale of hundreds of nanometers formed in plasticized PVB for the first time is reported. In this work, the multiscale relaxation behavior of plasticized PVB is further investigated. The relaxation behavior of deformed plasticized PVB is studied from macroscopic stress, mesoscopic phase-separated structure, and microscopic chain segment by combining USAXS, and birefringence with in situ stretching device. The contributions of chain segments and hydrogen bonding clusters for the multiscale relaxation behavior are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changzhu Lv
- National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
- Anhui Provincial Engineering Laboratory of Advanced Functional Polymer Film, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
| | - Hang Guo
- National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
- Anhui Provincial Engineering Laboratory of Advanced Functional Polymer Film, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
| | - Erjie Yang
- National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
- Anhui Provincial Engineering Laboratory of Advanced Functional Polymer Film, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
| | - Chunlei Xu
- National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
- Anhui Provincial Engineering Laboratory of Advanced Functional Polymer Film, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
| | - Qi Yan
- National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
- Anhui Provincial Engineering Laboratory of Advanced Functional Polymer Film, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
| | - Lingpu Meng
- National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
- Anhui Provincial Engineering Laboratory of Advanced Functional Polymer Film, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
| | - Liangbin Li
- National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
- Anhui Provincial Engineering Laboratory of Advanced Functional Polymer Film, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Soft Matter Chemistry, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
| | - Kunpeng Cui
- Anhui Provincial Engineering Laboratory of Advanced Functional Polymer Film, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Soft Matter Chemistry, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
- Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
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14
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Jiang N, Su Z, Sun Y, Ren R, Zhou J, Bi R, Zhu S. Spatial Heterogeneity Directs Energy Dissipation in Condylar Fibrocartilage. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2023; 19:e2301051. [PMID: 37156747 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202301051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Condylar fibrocartilage with structural and compositional heterogeneity can efficiently orchestrate load-bearing and energy dissipation, making the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) survive high occlusion loads for a prolonged lifetime. How the thin condylar fibrocartilage can achieve efficient energy dissipation to cushion enormous stresses remains an open question in biology and tissue engineering. Here, three distinct zones in the condylar fibrocartilage are identified by analyzing the components and structure from the macro-and microscale to the nanoscale. Specific proteins are highly expressed in each zone related to its mechanics. The heterogeneity of condylar fibrocartilage can direct energy dissipation through the nano-micron-macro gradient spatial scale, by atomic force microscope (AFM), nanoindentation, dynamic mechanical analyzer assay (DMA), and the corresponding energy dissipation mechanisms are exclusive for each distinct zone. This study reveals the significance of the heterogeneity of condylar fibrocartilage in mechanical behavior and provides new insights into the research methods for cartilage biomechanics and the design of energy-dissipative materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Zhan Su
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Yixin Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Rong Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Jiahao Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Ruiye Bi
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Songsong Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
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15
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Lama M, Gong JP. Mechanical Reinforcement of Lamellar Bilayer Hydrogels by Small Amounts of Co-surfactants. ACS OMEGA 2023; 8:25185-25194. [PMID: 37483217 PMCID: PMC10357540 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c02274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
Anisotropic photonic hydrogels with alternatively stacked poly(dodecyl glyceryl itaconate) (PDGI) bilayers and polyacrylamide (PAAm) gel layers are unique soft materials with various functions. It is known that to form the lamellar phase of bilayers, a small amount of co-surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) should be present in the precursor monomer solutions of the gels. However, little is known about the influence of the co-surfactant on the structure of bilayers and on the mechanical properties of such photonic hydrogels. Herein, we chose several co-surfactants and studied the effect of the co-surfactants on the self-assembly behavior of the bilayers and on the mechanical properties of the resulting photonic hydrogels. A macroscopically aligned lamellar phase could be induced for all the co-surfactants. Interestingly, the mechanical response of the photonic hydrogels sensitively depends on the chemical structure of the co-surfactant, especially at large deformation. We hypothesize that doping by small amounts of co-surfactants dramatically changes the anchoring strength and density of PAAm strands onto the bilayer surface, thereby influencing the load transfer efficiency from the bilayer to the PAAm gel layer at large deformation and the rupture of the bilayer. This work provides new understanding in the molecular mechanisms of deformation and strengthening in this soft and anisotropic nanocomposite, helping to design more robust photonic hydrogels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milena Lama
- Laboratory of Soft & Wet Matter (LSW), Faculty of Advanced Life Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 001-0021, Japan
| | - Jian Ping Gong
- Laboratory of Soft & Wet Matter (LSW), Faculty of Advanced Life Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 001-0021, Japan
- Institute for Chemical Reaction Design and Discovery (WPI-ICReDD), Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 001-0021, Japan
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16
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Liu T, Chen W, Li K, Long S, Li X, Huang Y. Toughening Weak Polyampholyte Hydrogels with Weak Chain Entanglements via a Secondary Equilibrium Approach. Polymers (Basel) 2023; 15:2644. [PMID: 37376290 DOI: 10.3390/polym15122644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Polyampholyte (PA) hydrogels are randomly copolymerized from anionic and cationic monomers, showing good mechanical properties owing to the existence of numerous ionic bonds in the networks. However, relatively tough PA gels can be synthesized successfully only at high monomer concentrations (CM), where relatively strong chain entanglements exist to stabilize the primary supramolecular networks. This study aims to toughen weak PA gels with relatively weak primary topological entanglements (at relatively low CM) via a secondary equilibrium approach. According to this approach, an as-prepared PA gel is first dialyzed in a FeCl3 solution to reach a swelling equilibrium and then dialyzed in sufficient deionized water to remove excess free ions to achieve a new equilibrium, resulting in the modified PA gels. It is proved that the modified PA gels are eventually constructed by both ionic and metal coordination bonds, which could synergistically enhance the chain interactions and enable the network toughening. Systematic studies indicate that both CM and FeCl3 concentration (CFeCl3) influence the enhancement effectiveness of the modified PA gels, although all the gels could be dramatically enhanced. The mechanical properties of the modified PA gel could be optimized at CM = 2.0 M and CFeCl3 = 0.3 M, where the Young's modulus, tensile fracture strength, and work of tension are improved by 1800%, 600%, and 820%, respectively, comparing to these of the original PA gel. By selecting a different PA gel system and diverse metal ions (i.e., Al3+, Mg2+, Ca2+), we further prove that the proposed approach is generally appliable. A theoretical model is used to understand the toughening mechanism. This work well extends the simple yet general approach for the toughening of weak PA gels with relatively weak chain entanglements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Liu
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Green Materials for Light Industry, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan 430068, China
| | - Wenjun Chen
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Green Materials for Light Industry, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan 430068, China
| | - Kai Li
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Green Materials for Light Industry, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan 430068, China
| | - Shijun Long
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Green Materials for Light Industry, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan 430068, China
- New Materials and Green Manufacturing Talent Introduction and Innovation Demonstration Base, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan 430068, China
| | - Xuefeng Li
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Green Materials for Light Industry, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan 430068, China
- New Materials and Green Manufacturing Talent Introduction and Innovation Demonstration Base, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan 430068, China
| | - Yiwan Huang
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Green Materials for Light Industry, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan 430068, China
- New Materials and Green Manufacturing Talent Introduction and Innovation Demonstration Base, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan 430068, China
- Non-Power Nuclear Technology Collaborative Innovation Center, Hubei University of Science and Technology, Xianning 437100, China
- Hubei Longzhong Laboratory, Xiangyang 441000, China
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17
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Chen F, Li X, Yu Y, Li Q, Lin H, Xu L, Shum HC. Phase-separation facilitated one-step fabrication of multiscale heterogeneous two-aqueous-phase gel. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2793. [PMID: 37193701 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38394-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Engineering heterogeneous hydrogels with distinct phases at various lengths, which resemble biological tissues with high complexity, remains challenging by existing fabricating techniques that require complicated procedures and are often only applicable at bulk scales. Here, inspired by ubiquitous phase separation phenomena in biology, we present a one-step fabrication method based on aqueous phase separation to construct two-aqueous-phase gels that comprise multiple phases with distinct physicochemical properties. The gels fabricated by this approach exhibit enhanced interfacial mechanics compared with their counterparts obtained from conventional layer-by-layer methods. Moreover, two-aqueous-phase gels with programmable structures and tunable physicochemical properties can be conveniently constructed by adjusting the polymer constituents, gelation conditions, and combining different fabrication techniques, such as 3D-printing. The versatility of our approach is demonstrated by mimicking the key features of several biological architectures at different lengths: macroscale muscle-tendon connections; mesoscale cell patterning; microscale molecular compartmentalization. The present work advances the fabrication approach for designing heterogeneous multifunctional materials for various technological and biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feipeng Chen
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong (SAR), China
| | - Xiufeng Li
- Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation Centre, Hong Kong Science Park, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong (SAR), China
| | - Yafeng Yu
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong (SAR), China
| | - Qingchuan Li
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong (SAR), China
- Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation Centre, Hong Kong Science Park, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong (SAR), China
| | - Haisong Lin
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong (SAR), China
- Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation Centre, Hong Kong Science Park, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong (SAR), China
| | - Lizhi Xu
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong (SAR), China
- Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation Centre, Hong Kong Science Park, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong (SAR), China
| | - Ho Cheung Shum
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong (SAR), China.
- Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation Centre, Hong Kong Science Park, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong (SAR), China.
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18
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Liu Y, Chen L, Yang Y, Chen H, Zhang X, Liu S. High Mechanical Strength and Multifunctional Microphase-Separated Supramolecular Hydrogels Fabricated by Liquid-Crystalline Block Copolymer. Macromol Rapid Commun 2023; 44:e2200829. [PMID: 36482796 DOI: 10.1002/marc.202200829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Revised: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The development of multifunctional supramolecular hydrogels with high mechanical strength and multifunction is in high demand. In this work, the diblock copolymer poly(acrylamide-co-1-benzyl-3-vinylimidazolium bromide)-block-polyAzobenzene is synthesized through reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization. The dynamic host-guest interactions between the host molecule cucurbit[8] uril and guest units are used to fabricate a 3D network of supramolecular hydrogels. Investigations on the properties of the supramolecular hydrogels show that the tensile stress of the sample is 1.46 MPa, eight times higher than that of hydrogel without liquid-crystalline block copolymer, and the self-healing efficiency of the supramolecular hydrogels at room temperature is 88.3% (fracture stress) and 100% (fracture strain) after 24 h. Results show that microphase-separated structure plays a key role in the high-strength hydrogel, whereas the host-guest interaction endows the hydrogel with self-healing properties. The supramolecular hydrogels with high mechanical strength, photo-responsivity, injectability, and biocompatibility can be used in various potential applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Liu
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430081, China
| | - Lv Chen
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430081, China
| | - Yuxuan Yang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430081, China
| | - Hongxiang Chen
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430081, China
| | - Xiongzhi Zhang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430081, China
- The State Key Laboratory of Refractories and Metallurgy, Institute of Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430081, China
| | - Simin Liu
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430081, China
- The State Key Laboratory of Refractories and Metallurgy, Institute of Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430081, China
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19
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Zhu S, Wang Y, Wang Z, Chen L, Zhu F, Ye Y, Zheng Y, Yu W, Zheng Q. Metal-Coordinated Dynamics and Viscoelastic Properties of Double-Network Hydrogels. Gels 2023; 9:gels9020145. [PMID: 36826315 PMCID: PMC9956398 DOI: 10.3390/gels9020145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2023] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/04/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Biological soft tissues are intrinsically viscoelastic materials which play a significant role in affecting the activity of cells. As potential artificial alternatives, double-network (DN) gels, however, are pure elastic and mechanically time independent. The viscoelasticization of DN gels is an urgent challenge in enabling DN gels to be used for advanced development of biomaterial applications. Herein, we demonstrate a simple approach to regulate the viscoelasticity of tough double-network (DN) hydrogels by forming sulfonate-metal coordination. Owing to the dynamic nature of the coordination bonds, the resultant hydrogels possess highly viscoelastic, mechanical time-dependent, and self-recovery properties. Rheological measurements are performed to investigate the linear dynamic mechanical behavior at small strains. The tensile tests and cyclic tensile tests are also systematically performed to evaluate the rate-dependent large deformation mechanical behaviors and energy dissipation behaviors of various ion-loaded DN hydrogels. It has been revealed based on the systematic analysis that robust strong sulfonate-Zr4+ coordination interactions not only serve as dynamic crosslinks imparting viscoelastic rate-dependent mechanical performances, but also strongly affect the relative strength of the first PAMPS network, thereby increasing the yielding stress σy and the fracture stress at break σb and reducing the stretch ratio at break λb. It is envisioned that the viscoelasticization of DN gels enables versatile applications in the biomedical and engineering fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shilei Zhu
- College of Physics, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, China
| | - Yan Wang
- College of Materials Science & Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, China
| | - Zhe Wang
- College of Materials Science & Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, China
| | - Lin Chen
- College of Materials Science & Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, China
| | - Fengbo Zhu
- College of Materials Science & Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, China
- Shanxi-Zheda Institute of Advanced Materials and Chemical Engineering, Taiyuan 030024, China
| | - Yanan Ye
- College of Materials Science & Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, China
- Shanxi-Zheda Institute of Advanced Materials and Chemical Engineering, Taiyuan 030024, China
- Correspondence: (Y.Y.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Yong Zheng
- Institute for Chemical Reaction Design and Discovery, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 001-0021, Japan
- Correspondence: (Y.Y.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Wenwen Yu
- College of Materials Science & Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, China
- Shanxi-Zheda Institute of Advanced Materials and Chemical Engineering, Taiyuan 030024, China
| | - Qiang Zheng
- College of Materials Science & Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, China
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
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20
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Zhu T, Ni Y, Biesold GM, Cheng Y, Ge M, Li H, Huang J, Lin Z, Lai Y. Recent advances in conductive hydrogels: classifications, properties, and applications. Chem Soc Rev 2023; 52:473-509. [PMID: 36484322 DOI: 10.1039/d2cs00173j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 74.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Hydrogel-based conductive materials for smart wearable devices have attracted increasing attention due to their excellent flexibility, versatility, and outstanding biocompatibility. This review presents the recent advances in multifunctional conductive hydrogels for electronic devices. First, conductive hydrogels with different components are discussed, including pure single network hydrogels based on conductive polymers, single network hydrogels with additional conductive additives (i.e., nanoparticles, nanowires, and nanosheets), double network hydrogels based on conductive polymers, and double network hydrogels with additional conductive additives. Second, conductive hydrogels with a variety of functionalities, including self-healing, super toughness, self-growing, adhesive, anti-swelling, antibacterial, structural color, hydrophobic, anti-freezing, shape memory and external stimulus responsiveness are introduced in detail. Third, the applications of hydrogels in flexible devices are illustrated (i.e., strain sensors, supercapacitors, touch panels, triboelectric nanogenerator, bioelectronic devices, and robot). Next, the current challenges facing hydrogels are summarized. Finally, an imaginative but reasonable outlook is given, which aims to drive further development in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianxue Zhu
- College of Chemical Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350116, P. R. China.
| | - Yimeng Ni
- College of Chemical Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350116, P. R. China.
| | - Gill M Biesold
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Yan Cheng
- Zhejiang Engineering Research Center for Tissue Repair Materials, Joint Centre of Translational Medicine, Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Science, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325000, P. R. China
| | - Mingzheng Ge
- School of Textile and Clothing, Nantong University, Nantong 226019, P. R. China
| | - Huaqiong Li
- Zhejiang Engineering Research Center for Tissue Repair Materials, Joint Centre of Translational Medicine, Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Science, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325000, P. R. China
| | - Jianying Huang
- College of Chemical Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350116, P. R. China. .,Qingyuan Innovation Laboratory, Quanzhou 362801, P. R. China
| | - Zhiqun Lin
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117585, Singapore.
| | - Yuekun Lai
- College of Chemical Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350116, P. R. China. .,Qingyuan Innovation Laboratory, Quanzhou 362801, P. R. China
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21
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Sun F, Liu L, Liu T, Wang X, Qi Q, Hang Z, Chen K, Xu J, Fu J. Vascular smooth muscle-inspired architecture enables soft yet tough self-healing materials for durable capacitive strain-sensor. Nat Commun 2023; 14:130. [PMID: 36624140 PMCID: PMC9829674 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-35810-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Catastrophically mechanical failure of soft self-healing materials is unavoidable due to their inherently poor resistance to crack propagation. Here, with a model system, i.e., soft self-healing polyurea, we present a biomimetic strategy of surpassing trade-off between soft self-healing and high fracture toughness, enabling the conversion of soft and weak into soft yet tough self-healing material. Such an achievement is inspired by vascular smooth muscles, where core-shell structured Galinstan micro-droplets are introduced through molecularly interfacial metal-coordinated assembly, resulting in an increased crack-resistant strain and fracture toughness of 12.2 and 34.9 times without sacrificing softness. The obtained fracture toughness is up to 111.16 ± 8.76 kJ/m2, even higher than that of Al and Zn alloys. Moreover, the resultant composite delivers fast self-healing kinetics (1 min) upon local near-infrared irradiation, and possesses ultra-high dielectric constants (~14.57), thus being able to be fabricated into sensitive and self-healing capacitive strain-sensors tolerant towards cracks potentially evolved in service.
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Affiliation(s)
- FuYao Sun
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210094, China.,Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center of Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Resources, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China
| | - LongFei Liu
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210094, China
| | - Tong Liu
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210094, China.,Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Structural Materials and Application Technology, Nanjing Institute of Technology, Nanjing, 211167, China
| | - XueBin Wang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210094, China.,State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China
| | - Qi Qi
- School of Science, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210094, China
| | - ZuSheng Hang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Structural Materials and Application Technology, Nanjing Institute of Technology, Nanjing, 211167, China
| | - Kai Chen
- School of Science, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210094, China
| | - JianHua Xu
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210094, China. .,Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center of Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Resources, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China. .,State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China.
| | - JiaJun Fu
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210094, China. .,State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China.
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22
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Zhou Y, Jin L. Mechanics Underpinning Phase Separation of Hydrogels. Macromolecules 2023; 56:426-439. [PMID: 36711110 PMCID: PMC9879212 DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.2c02356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
This paper reveals the underpinning role of mechanical constraints and dynamic loading in triggering volume phase transitions and phase separation of hydrogels. Using the Flory-Rehner free energy that does not predict phase separation of hydrogels under equilibrium free swelling, we show that mechanical constraints can lead to coexistence of multiple phases. We systematically obtain the states of equilibrium for hydrogels under various mechanical constraints and unravel how mechanical constraints change the convexity of the free energy and monotonicity of the stress-stretch curves, leading to phase coexistence. Using a phase-field model, we predict the pattern evolution of phase coexistence and show that many features cannot be captured by the homogeneous states of equilibrium due to large mismatch stretch between the coexisting phases. We further reveal that the system size, quenching rate, and loading rate can significantly influence the phase behavior, which provides insights for experimental studies related to morphological patterns of hydrogels.
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23
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Xu S, Zhou Z, Liu Z, Sharma P. Concurrent stiffening and softening in hydrogels under dehydration. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eade3240. [PMID: 36598986 PMCID: PMC9812377 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ade3240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Hydrogels are an extraordinary soft matter system that serve as a laboratory for a rich plethora of multiphysical phenomena and find applications that range from biocompatible sensors to soft robots. Here, we report a peculiar experimental observation suggesting concurrent stiffening and softening in hydrogels during the dehydration process. Theories based on Flory's work fail to capture the scaling of mechanical behavior with water content, observed in our experiments. We perform coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations to elucidate the mechanisms underpinning the odd softening-stiffening behavior during dehydration and propose a theoretical model to correctly represent the underlying physics and the divergence from Flory-based theories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuai Xu
- International Center for Applied Mechanics, State Key Laboratory for Strength and Vibration of Mechanical Structures, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
| | - Zidi Zhou
- International Center for Applied Mechanics, State Key Laboratory for Strength and Vibration of Mechanical Structures, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
| | - Zishun Liu
- International Center for Applied Mechanics, State Key Laboratory for Strength and Vibration of Mechanical Structures, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
| | - Pradeep Sharma
- Departments of Physics, Materials Science and Engineering and Mechanical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
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24
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Li X, Luo F, Sun TL, Cui K, Watanabe R, Nakajima T, Gong JP. Effect of Salt on Dynamic Mechanical Behaviors of Polyampholyte Hydrogels. Macromolecules 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.2c02003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xueyu Li
- Laboratory of Soft & Wet Matter, Faculty of Advanced Life Science, Hokkaido University, Kita 21, Nishi 11, Kita-ku, Sapporo001-0021, Japan
| | - Feng Luo
- Laboratory of Soft & Wet Matter, Faculty of Advanced Life Science, Hokkaido University, Kita 21, Nishi 11, Kita-ku, Sapporo001-0021, Japan
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu610065, China
| | - Tao Lin Sun
- Laboratory of Soft & Wet Matter, Faculty of Advanced Life Science, Hokkaido University, Kita 21, Nishi 11, Kita-ku, Sapporo001-0021, Japan
- South China Advanced Institute for Soft Matter Science and Technology, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou510640, China
| | - Kunpeng Cui
- Institute for Chemical Reaction Design and Discovery (WPI-ICReDD), Hokkaido University, Kita 21, Nishi 11, Kita-ku, Sapporo001-0021, Japan
- Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei230026, China
| | - Reina Watanabe
- Laboratory of Soft & Wet Matter, Division of Soft Matter, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Life Science, Kita10, Nishi 8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido060-0810, Japan
| | - Tasuku Nakajima
- Laboratory of Soft & Wet Matter, Faculty of Advanced Life Science, Hokkaido University, Kita 21, Nishi 11, Kita-ku, Sapporo001-0021, Japan
- Institute for Chemical Reaction Design and Discovery (WPI-ICReDD), Hokkaido University, Kita 21, Nishi 11, Kita-ku, Sapporo001-0021, Japan
| | - Jian Ping Gong
- Laboratory of Soft & Wet Matter, Faculty of Advanced Life Science, Hokkaido University, Kita 21, Nishi 11, Kita-ku, Sapporo001-0021, Japan
- Institute for Chemical Reaction Design and Discovery (WPI-ICReDD), Hokkaido University, Kita 21, Nishi 11, Kita-ku, Sapporo001-0021, Japan
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25
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Zhang J, Yin J, Li N, Liu H, Wu Z, Liu Y, Jiao T, Qin Z. Simultaneously Enhancing the Mechanical Strength and Ionic Conductivity of Stretchable Ionogels Enabled by Polymerization-Induced Phase Separation. Macromolecules 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.2c01838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jiaxin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology, Hebei Key Laboratory of Applied Chemistry, Hebei Key Laboratory of Nanobiotechnology, Hebei Key Laboratory of Heavy Metal Deep-Remediation in Water and Resource Reuse, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, China
| | - Juanjuan Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology, Hebei Key Laboratory of Applied Chemistry, Hebei Key Laboratory of Nanobiotechnology, Hebei Key Laboratory of Heavy Metal Deep-Remediation in Water and Resource Reuse, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, China
| | - Na Li
- State Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology, Hebei Key Laboratory of Applied Chemistry, Hebei Key Laboratory of Nanobiotechnology, Hebei Key Laboratory of Heavy Metal Deep-Remediation in Water and Resource Reuse, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, China
| | - Hao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology, Hebei Key Laboratory of Applied Chemistry, Hebei Key Laboratory of Nanobiotechnology, Hebei Key Laboratory of Heavy Metal Deep-Remediation in Water and Resource Reuse, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, China
| | - Zihang Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology, Hebei Key Laboratory of Applied Chemistry, Hebei Key Laboratory of Nanobiotechnology, Hebei Key Laboratory of Heavy Metal Deep-Remediation in Water and Resource Reuse, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, China
| | - Ying Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology, Hebei Key Laboratory of Applied Chemistry, Hebei Key Laboratory of Nanobiotechnology, Hebei Key Laboratory of Heavy Metal Deep-Remediation in Water and Resource Reuse, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, China
| | - Tifeng Jiao
- State Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology, Hebei Key Laboratory of Applied Chemistry, Hebei Key Laboratory of Nanobiotechnology, Hebei Key Laboratory of Heavy Metal Deep-Remediation in Water and Resource Reuse, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, China
| | - Zhihui Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology, Hebei Key Laboratory of Applied Chemistry, Hebei Key Laboratory of Nanobiotechnology, Hebei Key Laboratory of Heavy Metal Deep-Remediation in Water and Resource Reuse, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, China
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26
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Enormous-stiffness-changing polymer networks by glass transition mediated microphase separation. Nat Commun 2022; 13:6821. [PMID: 36357428 PMCID: PMC9649666 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34677-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The rapid development of flexible electronics and soft robotics has an urgent demand for materials with wide-range switchable stiffness. Here, we report a polymer network that can isochorically and reversibly switch between soft ionogel and rigid plastic accompanied by a gigantic stiffness change from about 600 Pa to 85 MPa. This transition is realized by introducing polymer vitrification to regulate the liquid–liquid phase separation, namely the Berghmans’ point in the phase diagram of binary gel systems. Regulating the Lewis acid-base interactions between polymer and ionic liquids, the stiffness-changing ratio of polymer network can be tuned from 10 to more than 105. These wide-range stiffness-changing ionogels show excellent shape adaptability and reconfigurability, which can enhance the interfacial adhesion between ionogel and electrode by an order of magnitude and reduce interfacial impedance by 75%. The development of flexible electronics and soft robotics demands materials with wide-range switchable stiffness. Here, the authors report a polymer network that can isochorically and reversibly switch between a soft ionogel and a rigid plastic accompanied by a large stiffness change.
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27
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Wang L, Zhang HJ, Wang X, Zhao W, Yan W, Zhang F, Li Y, You X. Edible hydrogel from gelatin and alginate as functional low‐calorie noodle. J Appl Polym Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/app.53281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lini Wang
- College of Bioresources Chemical and Materials Engineering Shaanxi University of Science & Technology Xi'an China
| | - Hui Jie Zhang
- College of Bioresources Chemical and Materials Engineering Shaanxi University of Science & Technology Xi'an China
| | - Xinyi Wang
- College of Bioresources Chemical and Materials Engineering Shaanxi University of Science & Technology Xi'an China
| | - Wenying Zhao
- College of Bioresources Chemical and Materials Engineering Shaanxi University of Science & Technology Xi'an China
| | - Weihua Yan
- School of Food and Biological Engineering Shaanxi University of Science & Technology Xi'an China
| | - Fangjian Zhang
- School of Food and Biological Engineering Shaanxi University of Science & Technology Xi'an China
| | - Yanjun Li
- School of Food and Biological Engineering Shaanxi University of Science & Technology Xi'an China
| | - Xiangyu You
- College of Bioresources Chemical and Materials Engineering Shaanxi University of Science & Technology Xi'an China
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28
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Mechanism of temperature-induced asymmetric swelling and shrinking kinetics in self-healing hydrogels. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2207422119. [PMID: 36037384 PMCID: PMC9457170 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2207422119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the physical principle that governs the stimuli-induced swelling and shrinking kinetics of hydrogels is indispensable for their applications. Here, we show that the shrinking and swelling kinetics of self-healing hydrogels could be intrinsically asymmetric. The structure frustration, formed by the large difference in the heat and solvent diffusions, remarkably slows down the shrinking kinetics. The plateau modulus of viscoelastic gels is found to be a key parameter governing the formation of structure frustration and, in turn, the asymmetric swelling and shrinking kinetics. This work provides fundamental understandings on the temperature-triggered transient structure formation in self-healing hydrogels. Our findings will find broad use in diverse applications of self-healing hydrogels, where cooperative diffusion of water and gel network is involved. Our findings should also give insight into the molecular diffusion in biological systems that possess macromolecular crowding environments similar to self-healing hydrogels.
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29
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Zhang HJ, Wang X, Yang Y, Sun TL, Zhang A, You X. Effect of Hydrophobic Side Group on Structural Heterogeneities and Mechanical Performance of Gelatin-Based Hydrogen-Bonded Hydrogel. Macromolecules 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.2c01386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hui Jie Zhang
- College of Bioresources Chemical and Materials Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science &Technology, Xi’an, Shaanxi 710021, China
| | - Xinyi Wang
- College of Bioresources Chemical and Materials Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science &Technology, Xi’an, Shaanxi 710021, China
| | - Yuxi Yang
- College of Bioresources Chemical and Materials Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science &Technology, Xi’an, Shaanxi 710021, China
| | - Tao Lin Sun
- South China Advanced Institute for Soft Matter Science and Technology, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Aokai Zhang
- Changzhou Institute of Industry Technology, Changzhou, Jiangsu 213164, China
| | - Xiangyu You
- College of Bioresources Chemical and Materials Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science &Technology, Xi’an, Shaanxi 710021, China
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30
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Ma J, Wen S, Yue Z. A stretchable and healable elastomer with shape memory capability based on multiple hydrogen bonds. RSC Adv 2022; 12:21512-21519. [PMID: 35975089 PMCID: PMC9347211 DOI: 10.1039/d2ra03250c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Although a wide range of self-healing materials have been reported by researchers, it is still a challenge to endow exceptional mechanical properties and shape memory characteristics simultaneously in a single material. Inspired by the structure of natural silk, herein, we have adopted a simple synthetic method to prepare a kind of elastomer (HM-PUs) with stiff, healable and shape memory capabilities assisted by multiple hydrogen bonds. The self-healing elastomer exhibits a maximum tensile strength of 39 MPa, toughness of 111.65 MJ m−3 and self-healing efficiency of 96%. Moreover, the recuperative efficiency of shape memory could reach 100%. The fundamental study of HM-PUs will facilitate the development of flexible electronics and medical materials. Although a wide range of self-healing materials have been reported by researchers, it is still a challenge to endow exceptional mechanical properties and shape memory characteristics simultaneously in a single material.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiacheng Ma
- School of Mechanics and Civil & Architecture, Northwestern Polytechnical University Xi'an 710129 PR China
| | - Shifeng Wen
- School of Mechanics and Civil & Architecture, Northwestern Polytechnical University Xi'an 710129 PR China
| | - Zhufeng Yue
- School of Mechanics and Civil & Architecture, Northwestern Polytechnical University Xi'an 710129 PR China
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31
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Huang Y, Yu D, Fu C, Guo R, Wu C, Lin Y. Recent advances in multi-mechanism design of crack-resistant hydrogels. SOFT MATTER 2022; 18:5153-5165. [PMID: 35788619 DOI: 10.1039/d2sm00632d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
For conventional hydrogels, the phenomenon of crack generation and propagation caused by high-stress concentration is ubiquitous. However, this phenomenon is unfavorable in many applications, such as wearable electronics, tissue engineering, and tunable adhesion. Fortunately, many hydrogels that can suppress crack growth during deformation and maintain the original mechanical properties during deformation, called crack-resistant hydrogels, have been published. Herein, the state-of-the-art of crack-resistant hydrogels is comprehensively reviewed. Starting from the principle of designing a crack-resistant hydrogel, we first survey the relevant crack-resistant strategies. The latest crack-resistant hydrogels are then categorized according to their crack-resistant mechanisms (including energy dissipation at the molecular level, multiscale structure, crack pinning, crack deflection, and sliding of chain), and their crack-resistant processes are described in detail. Furthermore, we summarize the current challenges and make an outlook for crack-resistant hydrogels, which might lead to substantial progress in the future design and development of these high-performance materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifan Huang
- Department of Physics, Research Institute for Biomimetics and Soft Matter, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Soft Functional Materials Research, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, P. R. China.
| | - Deshuai Yu
- Department of Physics, Research Institute for Biomimetics and Soft Matter, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Soft Functional Materials Research, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, P. R. China.
| | - Cong Fu
- Department of Physics, Research Institute for Biomimetics and Soft Matter, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Soft Functional Materials Research, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, P. R. China.
| | - Rongrong Guo
- Department of Physics, Research Institute for Biomimetics and Soft Matter, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Soft Functional Materials Research, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, P. R. China.
| | - Chenxu Wu
- Department of Physics, Research Institute for Biomimetics and Soft Matter, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Soft Functional Materials Research, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, P. R. China.
| | - Youhui Lin
- Department of Physics, Research Institute for Biomimetics and Soft Matter, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Soft Functional Materials Research, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, P. R. China.
- National Institute for Data Science in Health and Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, P. R. China
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32
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Qiu C, Sun W, Wang T, Tong Z. Phase separation of chemically crosslinked poly(n-butyl methacrylate-co-methacrylic acid) in mixtures of N,N-dimethyl formamide and water. POLYMER 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2022.125009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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33
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Wang L, Li T, Wang Z, Hou J, Liu S, Yang Q, Yu L, Guo W, Wang Y, Guo B, Huang W, Wu Y. Injectable remote magnetic nanofiber/hydrogel multiscale scaffold for functional anisotropic skeletal muscle regeneration. Biomaterials 2022; 285:121537. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2022.121537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Revised: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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34
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Wang Y, Yu W, Liu S. Physically cross-linked gellan gum/hydrophobically associated polyacrylamide double network hydrogel for cartilage repair. Eur Polym J 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2022.111074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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35
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Rumon MMH, Sarkar SD, Uddin MM, Alam MM, Karobi SN, Ayfar A, Azam MS, Roy CK. Graphene oxide based crosslinker for simultaneous enhancement of mechanical toughness and self-healing capability of conventional hydrogels. RSC Adv 2022; 12:7453-7463. [PMID: 35424695 PMCID: PMC8982252 DOI: 10.1039/d2ra00122e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Extraordinary self-healing efficiency is rarely observed in mechanically strong hydrogels, which often limits the applications of hydrogels in biomedical engineering. We have presented an approach to utilize a special type of graphene oxide-based crosslinker (GOBC) for the simultaneous improvement of toughness and self-healing properties of conventional hydrogels. The GOBC has been prepared from graphene oxide (GO) by surface oxidation and further introduction of vinyl groups. It has been designed in such a way that the crosslinker is able to form both covalent bonds and noncovalent interactions with the polymer chains of hydrogels. To demonstrate the efficacy of GOBC, it was incorporated in a conventional polyacrylamide (PAM) and polyacrylic acid (PAA) hydrogel matrix, and the mechanical and self-healing properties of the prepared hydrogels were investigated. In PAM-GOBC hydrogels, it has been observed that the mechanical properties such as tensile strength, Young's modulus, and toughness are significantly improved by the incorporation of GOBC without compromising the self-healing efficiency. The PAM-GOBC hydrogel with a modulus of about 0.446 MPa exhibited about 70% stress healing efficiency after 40 h. Whereas, under the same conditions a PAM hydrogel with commonly used crosslinker N,N'-methylene-bis(acrylamide) of approximately the same modulus demonstrated no self-healing at all. Similar improvement of self-healing properties and toughness in PAA-GOBC hydrogel has also been observed which demonstrated the universality of the crosslinker. This crosslinker-based approach to improve the self-healing properties is expected to offer the possibility of the application of commonly used hydrogels in many different sectors, particularly in developing artificial tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Stephen Don Sarkar
- Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) Dhaka-1000 Bangladesh
| | - Md Mosfeq Uddin
- Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) Dhaka-1000 Bangladesh
| | - Md Mahbub Alam
- Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) Dhaka-1000 Bangladesh
| | | | - Aruna Ayfar
- Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) Dhaka-1000 Bangladesh
| | - Md Shafiul Azam
- Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) Dhaka-1000 Bangladesh
| | - Chanchal Kumar Roy
- Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) Dhaka-1000 Bangladesh
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36
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Park N, Kim J. Anisotropic Hydrogels with a Multiscale Hierarchical Structure Exhibiting High Strength and Toughness for Mimicking Tendons. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2022; 14:4479-4489. [PMID: 34969247 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c18989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Owing to their anisotropic and hierarchical structure, tendons exhibit an outstanding mechanical performance despite the low polymer concentration and softness of the constituent materials. Here, we propose a tendon-mimicking, strong, and tough hydrogel with a multiscale hierarchical and anisotropic structure. An isotropic, precursor double-network hydrogel is transformed into an anisotropic hydrogel by stretching, solvent exchange, and subsequent fixation via ionic crosslinking. Solvent exchange induces densification of the stretched polymer network, enhancement of linear alignment of polymer chains, and microphase separation, leading to anisotropic toughening of the hydrogel. The resulting anisotropic hydrogels show high strength and toughness, which vary over a wide range (1.2-3.3 MPa of strength and 4.9-8.8 MJ/m3 of toughness, respectively), controlled by the degree of pre-stretching. Furthermore, a hierarchical architecture is constructed by braiding the anisotropic hydrogel strands into a rope, resulting in an improved mechanical performance (4.7 MPa of strength in a four-strand hydrogel rope) compared to separated unbraided strands of a hydrogel (2.3 MPa of strength). The higher hierarchical hydrogel cable, prepared by braiding four hydrogel ropes, can withstand a heavy load even up to 13 kg. These results represent that a hierarchical assembly of anisotropic hydrogels exhibits high mechanical performance and a hierarchically anisotropic structure, which are reminiscent of tendons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nuri Park
- School of Chemical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Jaeyun Kim
- School of Chemical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Samsung Advanced Institute for Health Science & Technology (SAIHST), Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea
- Biomedical Institute for Convergence at SKKU (BICS), Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea
- Institute of Quantum Biophysics (IQB), Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea
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37
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Nishimoto T, Enomoto T, Lin CH, Wu JG, Gupit CI, Li X, Luo SC, Akimoto AM, Yoshida R. Construction of a nano-phase-separated structure on a hydrogel surface. SOFT MATTER 2022; 18:722-725. [PMID: 35019926 DOI: 10.1039/d1sm01659h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
A hydrogel surface with a nano-phase-separated structure was successfully fabricated by grafting a fluorine-containing polymer using activators regenerated by electron transfer atom transfer radical polymerisation (ARGET ATRP). The modified hydrogel surface exhibits water repellency and high elasticity with maintaining transparency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taihei Nishimoto
- Department of Materials Engineering, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan.
| | - Takafumi Enomoto
- Department of Materials Engineering, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan.
| | - Chia-Hsuan Lin
- Department of Material Science and Engineering, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Jhih-Guang Wu
- Department of Material Science and Engineering, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Caidric Indaya Gupit
- The Institute for Solid State Physics, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8581, Japan
| | - Xiang Li
- Faculty of Advanced Life Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 001-0021, Japan
| | - Shyh-Chyang Luo
- Department of Material Science and Engineering, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Aya Mizutani Akimoto
- Department of Materials Engineering, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan.
| | - Ryo Yoshida
- Department of Materials Engineering, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan.
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38
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Wang W, Sun S, Hu S, Yang B, He S, Wang R, Zhang L. Unprecedented Strength Polysiloxane-Based Polyurethane for 3D Printing and Shape Memory. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2022; 14:3324-3333. [PMID: 34984903 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c22353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Thermoplastic polysiloxane-based polyurethane (Si-TPU) has been attracting a great deal of attention because of the dual advantages of polysiloxane and polyurethane. However, the strength of Si-TPU with a traditional structure is low, and improvement is urgently needed for diverse applications. Herein, we design a polysiloxane-based soft segment (SS) with two urethane groups at the end of the polysiloxane chain, and then we prepare a series of Si-TPUs through a designed SS, isophorone diisocyanate and 1,4-butanediol. Such structural design improves the polarity of the SS and endows more regular hydrogen bonds to the polymer molecular chain. As a result, the prepared Si-TPUs exhibit a good microphase separation structure, unprecedentedly high strength, repeatable processing, noncytotoxicity, shape memory properties, and three-dimensional printing capabilities. Moreover, a maximum tensile strength of Si-TPUs can reach 20.3 MPa, exceeding that of other existing Si-based polymer materials. Si-TPUs show great potential for biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wencai Wang
- Key Laboratory of Beijing City on Preparation and Processing of Novel Polymer Materials, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Advanced Elastomers, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
- Engineering Research Center of Elastomer Materials on Energy Conservation and Resources, Ministry of Education, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Siao Sun
- Key Laboratory of Beijing City on Preparation and Processing of Novel Polymer Materials, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Shikai Hu
- Key Laboratory of Beijing City on Preparation and Processing of Novel Polymer Materials, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Advanced Elastomers, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
- Engineering Research Center of Elastomer Materials on Energy Conservation and Resources, Ministry of Education, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Bin Yang
- Key Laboratory of Beijing City on Preparation and Processing of Novel Polymer Materials, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Shaoyun He
- Key Laboratory of Beijing City on Preparation and Processing of Novel Polymer Materials, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Runguo Wang
- Key Laboratory of Beijing City on Preparation and Processing of Novel Polymer Materials, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Advanced Elastomers, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
- Engineering Research Center of Elastomer Materials on Energy Conservation and Resources, Ministry of Education, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Liqun Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Beijing City on Preparation and Processing of Novel Polymer Materials, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Advanced Elastomers, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
- Engineering Research Center of Elastomer Materials on Energy Conservation and Resources, Ministry of Education, Beijing 100029, China
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39
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Tong QB, Du C, Wei Z, Du M, Wu ZL, Zheng Q. Synergic influences of network topologies and associative interactions on the microstructures and bulk performances of hydrogels. J Mater Chem B 2021; 9:9863-9873. [PMID: 34849519 DOI: 10.1039/d1tb02114a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Revealing the relationship between network topologies and mechanical properties of hydrogels is fundamental yet challenging in the design of tough soft materials. Here, we report a series of hydrogels using N-isopropyl acrylamide (NIPAm) and acrylic acid (AAc) as the basic units to form a single network of the copolymer, a semi-interpenetrated network of two homopolymers, and a grafted network with homopolymer chains anchored on another homopolymer network, to investigate the influence of network architectures on the mechanical properties and thermal responses of the gels. We found that the properties of the gels are also significantly influenced by the formation of hydrogen bonds between poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) (PNIPAm) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAAc) segments. The gels with the single network of poly(NIPAm-co-AAc) are mechanically weak due to the low efficiency for forming robust hydrogen bonds, while micro-segregated domains are formed in the hydrogels with a semi-interpenetrated network structure due to the formation of inter-chain hydrogen bonds that favors energy dissipation and toughening of the gels. On the other hand, dense hydrogen bonds form between the grafted PNIPAm chains and the PAAc network, resulting in nano-segregated domains and excellent mechanical properties of the gels. The hydrogels with the grafted network structure exhibit a more repeatable response to temperature than those with the semi-interpenetrated network structure due to the relatively stable hydrogen-bond network. The comparison of the mechanical properties and thermal stability of the hydrogels with the same composition but different topological networks should be informative for engineering hydrogel properties or functions by tailoring the network structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Bo Tong
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China.
| | - Cong Du
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China.
| | - Zhou Wei
- Hangzhou Toka Ink Co., Ltd., Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Miao Du
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China.
| | - Zi Liang Wu
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China.
| | - Qiang Zheng
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China.
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40
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Glukhova SA, Molchanov VS, Lokshin BV, Rogachev AV, Tsarenko AA, Patsaev TD, Kamyshinsky RA, Philippova OE. Printable Alginate Hydrogels with Embedded Network of Halloysite Nanotubes: Effect of Polymer Cross-Linking on Rheological Properties and Microstructure. Polymers (Basel) 2021; 13:4130. [PMID: 34883633 PMCID: PMC8659288 DOI: 10.3390/polym13234130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Revised: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Rapidly growing 3D printing of hydrogels requires network materials which combine enhanced mechanical properties and printability. One of the most promising approaches to strengthen the hydrogels consists of the incorporation of inorganic fillers. In this paper, the rheological properties important for 3D printability were studied for nanocomposite hydrogels based on a rigid network of percolating halloysite nanotubes embedded in a soft alginate network cross-linked by calcium ions. Particular attention was paid to the effect of polymer cross-linking on these properties. It was revealed that the system possessed a pronounced shear-thinning behavior accompanied by a viscosity drop of 4-5 orders of magnitude. The polymer cross-links enhanced the shear-thinning properties and accelerated the viscosity recovery at rest so that the system could regain 96% of viscosity in only 18 s. Increasing the cross-linking of the soft network also enhanced the storage modulus of the nanocomposite system by up to 2 kPa. Through SAXS data, it was shown that at cross-linking, the junction zones consisting of fragments of two laterally aligned polymer chains were formed, which should have provided additional strength to the hydrogel. At the same time, the cross-linking of the soft network only slightly affected the yield stress, which seemed to be mainly determined by the rigid percolation network of nanotubes and reached 327 Pa. These properties make the alginate/halloysite hydrogels very promising for 3D printing, in particular, for biomedical purposes taking into account the natural origin, low toxicity, and good biocompatibility of both components.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Boris V. Lokshin
- A.N. Nesmeyanov Institute of Organoelement Compounds, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119991, Russia;
| | - Andrei V. Rogachev
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny 141701, Russia; (A.V.R.); (A.A.T.); (R.A.K.)
| | - Alexey A. Tsarenko
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny 141701, Russia; (A.V.R.); (A.A.T.); (R.A.K.)
| | - Timofey D. Patsaev
- Kurchatov Complex of NBICS-Technologies, National Research Center Kurchatov Institute, Moscow 123182, Russia;
| | - Roman A. Kamyshinsky
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny 141701, Russia; (A.V.R.); (A.A.T.); (R.A.K.)
- Kurchatov Complex of NBICS-Technologies, National Research Center Kurchatov Institute, Moscow 123182, Russia;
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41
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Yu C, Cui K, Guo H, Ye YN, Li X, Gong JP. Structure Frustration Enables Thermal History-Dependent Responsive Behavior in Self-Healing Hydrogels. Macromolecules 2021. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.1c01461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Chengtao Yu
- Graduate School of Life Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 001-0021, Japan
- Institute of Zhejiang University-Quzhou, 78 Jiuhua Boulevard North, Quzhou 324000, China
| | - Kunpeng Cui
- Institute for Chemical Reaction Design and Discovery (ICReDD), Hokkaido University, Sapporo 001-0021, Japan
| | - Honglei Guo
- Faculty of Advanced Life Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 001-0021, Japan
| | - Ya Nan Ye
- Global Institution for Collaborative Research and Education (GI-CoRE), Hokkaido University, Sapporo 001-0021, Japan
| | - Xueyu Li
- Global Institution for Collaborative Research and Education (GI-CoRE), Hokkaido University, Sapporo 001-0021, Japan
| | - Jian Ping Gong
- Institute for Chemical Reaction Design and Discovery (ICReDD), Hokkaido University, Sapporo 001-0021, Japan
- Faculty of Advanced Life Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 001-0021, Japan
- Global Institution for Collaborative Research and Education (GI-CoRE), Hokkaido University, Sapporo 001-0021, Japan
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42
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Natural polymer-sourced interpenetrating network hydrogels: Fabrication, properties, mechanism and food applications. Trends Food Sci Technol 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tifs.2021.07.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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43
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Yu WW, Xu WZ, Wei YC, Liao S, Luo MC. Mechanically Robust Elastomers Enabled by a Facile Interfacial Interactions-Driven Sacrificial Network. Macromol Rapid Commun 2021; 42:e2100509. [PMID: 34562290 DOI: 10.1002/marc.202100509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2021] [Revised: 09/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Strength and toughness are usually mutually exclusive for materials. The sacrificial bond strategy is used to address the trade-off between strength and toughness. However, the complex construction process of sacrificial network limits the application of sacrificial network. This work develops a facile strategy to construct an interfacial interactions-driven sacrificial network. The authors' group finds that there are the interfacial interactions between arginines (A) aggregates and molecular chains. Such interfacial interactions result in the mechanical properties of samples having a strong dependence on extension rates, which shows that A aggregates construct a network structure by interfacial interactions. The interfacial interactions between A aggregates and chains improve the strength of samples; while the A aggregate network driven by interfacial interactions preferentially ruptures to dissipate large energy for the improvement of fracture toughness, which can be considered as a sacrificial network. Therefore, their designed elastomers have both high strength and high toughness. This work provides an easier strategy for the construction of sacrificial networks, which can promote the industrial application of sacrificial networks in elastomer materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei-Wei Yu
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials of Tropical Island Resources of Ministry of Education, Natural Rubber Cooperative Innovation Center of Hainan Province and Ministry of Education of PRC, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, China
| | - Wen-Zhe Xu
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials of Tropical Island Resources of Ministry of Education, Natural Rubber Cooperative Innovation Center of Hainan Province and Ministry of Education of PRC, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, China
| | - Yan-Chan Wei
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials of Tropical Island Resources of Ministry of Education, Natural Rubber Cooperative Innovation Center of Hainan Province and Ministry of Education of PRC, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, China
| | - Shuangquan Liao
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials of Tropical Island Resources of Ministry of Education, Natural Rubber Cooperative Innovation Center of Hainan Province and Ministry of Education of PRC, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, China.,Key Laboratory of Carbon Fiber and Functional Polymers (Beijing University of Chemical Technology), Ministry of Education, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Ming-Chao Luo
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials of Tropical Island Resources of Ministry of Education, Natural Rubber Cooperative Innovation Center of Hainan Province and Ministry of Education of PRC, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, China.,Key Laboratory of Carbon Fiber and Functional Polymers (Beijing University of Chemical Technology), Ministry of Education, Beijing, 100029, China
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44
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Lian WZ, Fan ZW, Cui K, Yin P, Yang J, Jiang H, Tang L, Sun T. Tough Hydrogels with Dynamic H-Bonds: Structural Heterogeneities and Mechanical Performances. Macromolecules 2021. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.1c01064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Wei Zhen Lian
- South China Advanced Institute for Soft Matter Science and Technology, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Zhi Wei Fan
- South China Advanced Institute for Soft Matter Science and Technology, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Kunpeng Cui
- Institute for Chemical Reaction Design and Discovery (WPI-ICReDD), Hokkaido University, Sapporo 001-0021, Japan
| | - Panchao Yin
- South China Advanced Institute for Soft Matter Science and Technology, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Junsheng Yang
- South China Advanced Institute for Soft Matter Science and Technology, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Han Jiang
- Applied Mechanics and Structure Safety Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, School of Mechanics and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031, China
| | - Liqun Tang
- School of Civil Engineering and Transportation, South China University of Technology, No.381, Wushan Road, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Taolin Sun
- South China Advanced Institute for Soft Matter Science and Technology, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
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45
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Wang K, Wang H, Li J, Liang Y, Xie XQ, Liu J, Gu C, Zhang Y, Zhang G, Liu CS. Super-stretchable and extreme temperature-tolerant supramolecular-polymer double-network eutectogels with ultrafast in situ adhesion and flexible electrochromic behaviour. MATERIALS HORIZONS 2021; 8:2520-2532. [PMID: 34870306 DOI: 10.1039/d1mh00725d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The current tough and stretchable gels with various integrated functions are mainly based on polymer hydrogels. By introducing a non-covalent supramolecular self-assembled network into a covalently cross-linked polymer network in the presence of eco-friendly and cost-effective deep eutectic solvents (DESs), we developed a new small molecule-based supramolecular-polymer double-network (SP-DN) eutectogel platform. This exciting material exhibits high stretchability and toughness (>18 000% areal strain), spontaneous self-healing ability, ultrafast (∼5 s) in situ underwater and low-temperature (-80 °C) adhesion, and unusual boiling water-resistance, as well as strong base-, strong acid- (even aqua regia), ultra-low-temperature- (liquid nitrogen, -196 °C), and high-temperature- (200 °C) resistance. All these outstanding properties strongly recommend the SP-DN eutectogels as a quasi-solid electrolyte for soft electrochromic devices, which exhibited exceptional flexibility and consistent electrochromic behaviours in harsh mechanical or temperature environments. The experimental and simulation results uncovered the assembly mechanism of the SP-DN eutectogels. Unlike polymer hydrogels, the obtained SP-DN eutectogels showed high molecular design freedom and structural versatility. The findings of this work offer a promising strategy for developing the next generation of mechanically robust and functionally integrated soft materials with high environmental adaptability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaifang Wang
- Henan Provincial Key Laboratory of Surface & Interface Science, Zhengzhou University of Light Industry, Zhengzhou 450002, China.
| | - Hai Wang
- Henan Provincial Key Laboratory of Surface & Interface Science, Zhengzhou University of Light Industry, Zhengzhou 450002, China.
| | - Jingjing Li
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou, 450001, China.
| | - Yujia Liang
- Henan Provincial Key Laboratory of Surface & Interface Science, Zhengzhou University of Light Industry, Zhengzhou 450002, China.
| | - Xiao-Qiao Xie
- Henan Provincial Key Laboratory of Surface & Interface Science, Zhengzhou University of Light Industry, Zhengzhou 450002, China.
| | - Junpeng Liu
- Henan Provincial Key Laboratory of Surface & Interface Science, Zhengzhou University of Light Industry, Zhengzhou 450002, China.
| | - Chaonan Gu
- Henan Provincial Key Laboratory of Surface & Interface Science, Zhengzhou University of Light Industry, Zhengzhou 450002, China.
| | - Yunfei Zhang
- Henan Provincial Key Laboratory of Surface & Interface Science, Zhengzhou University of Light Industry, Zhengzhou 450002, China.
| | - Guo Zhang
- Henan Provincial Key Laboratory of Surface & Interface Science, Zhengzhou University of Light Industry, Zhengzhou 450002, China.
| | - Chun-Sen Liu
- Henan Provincial Key Laboratory of Surface & Interface Science, Zhengzhou University of Light Industry, Zhengzhou 450002, China.
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46
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Yu Z, Wu P. A highly transparent ionogel with strength enhancement ability for robust bonding in an aquatic environment. MATERIALS HORIZONS 2021; 8:2057-2064. [PMID: 34846483 DOI: 10.1039/d1mh00461a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
An underwater adhesive with strong, fast and stable adhesion ability has become an urgent requirement for various industrial applications. Herein, a highly transparent ionogel based on a fluorine-rich poly(ionic liquid) and the corresponding ionic liquid monomer has been developed and used as an underwater adhesive. Strong and stable underwater adhesion can be realized by taking advantage of the excellent interface adaptability and high mechanical strength of this ionogel. The underwater adhesion strength could reach as high as 5.18 ± 0.27 MPa. In addition, it can also realize robust bonding over a wide pH range (0-14). A waterproof transparent tape based on the ionogel has also been developed and it can carry out repair work in wet and aquatic environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenchuan Yu
- State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Center for Advanced Low-Dimension Materials, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, P. R. China.
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47
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Pan J, Gao L, Sun W, Wang S, Shi X. Length Effects of Short Alkyl Side Chains on Phase-Separated Structure and Dynamics of Hydrophobic Association Hydrogels. Macromolecules 2021. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.1c00471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jiageng Pan
- School of Chemical Engineering and Light Industry, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Liang Gao
- School of Chemical Engineering and Light Industry, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Weixiang Sun
- School of Material Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Shuting Wang
- School of Material Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Xuetao Shi
- School of Material Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
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48
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Abstract
Soft and wet hydrogels have many similarities to biological tissues, though their mechanical fragility had been one of the biggest obstacles in biomedical applications. Studies and developments in double network (DN) hydrogels have elucidated how to create tough gels universally based on sacrificial bond principles and opened a path for biomedical application of hydrogels in regenerative medicine and artificial soft connective tissues, such as cartilage, tendon, and ligament, which endure high tension and compression. This review explores a universal toughening mechanism for and biomedical studies of DN hydrogels. Moreover, because the term sacrificial bonds has been mentioned often in studies of bone tissues, consisting of biomacromolecules and biominerals, recent studies of gel–biomineral composites to understand early-stage osteogenesis and to simulate bony sacrificial bonds are also summarized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takayuki Nonoyama
- Faculty of Advanced Life Science and Global Station for Soft Matter, Global Institution for Collaborative Research and Education (GSS, GI-CoRE), Hokkaido University, Kita-ku, Sapporo 001-0021, Japan;,
| | - Jian Ping Gong
- Faculty of Advanced Life Science and Global Station for Soft Matter, Global Institution for Collaborative Research and Education (GSS, GI-CoRE), Hokkaido University, Kita-ku, Sapporo 001-0021, Japan;,
- Institute for Chemical Reaction Design and Discovery (WPI-ICReDD), Hokkaido University, Kita-ku, Sapporo 001-0021, Japan
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49
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Zhuo Y, Xia Z, Qi Y, Sumigawa T, Wu J, Šesták P, Lu Y, Håkonsen V, Li T, Wang F, Chen W, Xiao S, Long R, Kitamura T, Li L, He J, Zhang Z. Simultaneously Toughening and Stiffening Elastomers with Octuple Hydrogen Bonding. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2021; 33:e2008523. [PMID: 33938044 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202008523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Revised: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Current synthetic elastomers suffer from the well-known trade-off between toughness and stiffness. By a combination of multiscale experiments and atomistic simulations, a transparent unfilled elastomer with simultaneously enhanced toughness and stiffness is demonstrated. The designed elastomer comprises homogeneous networks with ultrastrong, reversible, and sacrificial octuple hydrogen bonding (HB), which evenly distribute the stress to each polymer chain during loading, thus enhancing stretchability and delaying fracture. Strong HBs and corresponding nanodomains enhance the stiffness by restricting the network mobility, and at the same time improve the toughness by dissipating energy during the transformation between different configurations. In addition, the stiffness mismatch between the hard HB domain and the soft poly(dimethylsiloxane)-rich phase promotes crack deflection and branching, which can further dissipate energy and alleviate local stress. These cooperative mechanisms endow the elastomer with both high fracture toughness (17016 J m-2 ) and high Young's modulus (14.7 MPa), circumventing the trade-off between toughness and stiffness. This work is expected to impact many fields of engineering requiring elastomers with unprecedented mechanical performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yizhi Zhuo
- NTNU Nanomechanical Lab, Department of Structural Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, 7491, Norway
| | - Zhijie Xia
- National Synchrotron Radiation Lab, CAS Key Laboratory of Soft Matter Chemistry, Anhui Provincial Engineering Laboratory of Advanced Functional Polymer Film, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
| | - Yuan Qi
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA
| | - Takashi Sumigawa
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Science, Kyoto University, Kyotodaigaku Katsura, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto, 6158540, Japan
| | - Jianyang Wu
- NTNU Nanomechanical Lab, Department of Structural Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, 7491, Norway
- Department of Physics, Jiujiang Research Institute, Research Institute for Biomimetics and Soft Matter, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Soft Functional Materials Research, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
| | - Petr Šesták
- Central European Institute of Technology, Brno University of Technology, CEITEC BUT, Purkyňova 123, Brno, CZ-612 00, Czech Republic
| | - Yinan Lu
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA
| | - Verner Håkonsen
- NTNU Nanomechanical Lab, Department of Structural Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, 7491, Norway
| | - Tong Li
- NTNU Nanomechanical Lab, Department of Structural Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, 7491, Norway
| | - Feng Wang
- NTNU Nanomechanical Lab, Department of Structural Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, 7491, Norway
| | - Wei Chen
- National Synchrotron Radiation Lab, CAS Key Laboratory of Soft Matter Chemistry, Anhui Provincial Engineering Laboratory of Advanced Functional Polymer Film, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
| | - Senbo Xiao
- NTNU Nanomechanical Lab, Department of Structural Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, 7491, Norway
| | - Rong Long
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA
| | - Takayuki Kitamura
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Science, Kyoto University, Kyotodaigaku Katsura, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto, 6158540, Japan
| | - Liangbin Li
- National Synchrotron Radiation Lab, CAS Key Laboratory of Soft Matter Chemistry, Anhui Provincial Engineering Laboratory of Advanced Functional Polymer Film, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
| | - Jianying He
- NTNU Nanomechanical Lab, Department of Structural Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, 7491, Norway
| | - Zhiliang Zhang
- NTNU Nanomechanical Lab, Department of Structural Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, 7491, Norway
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50
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Ji D, Kim J. Recent Strategies for Strengthening and Stiffening Tough Hydrogels. ADVANCED NANOBIOMED RESEARCH 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/anbr.202100026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Donghwan Ji
- School of Chemical Engineering Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU) Suwon 16419 Republic of Korea
| | - Jaeyun Kim
- School of Chemical Engineering Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU) Suwon 16419 Republic of Korea
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology Samsung Advanced Institute for Health Science and Technology (SAIHST) Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU) Suwon 16419 Republic of Korea
- Biomedical Institute for Convergence at SKKU (BICS) Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU) Suwon 16419 Republic of Korea
- Institute of Quantum Biophysics (IQB) Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU) Suwon 16419 Republic of Korea
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