Tough and Resilient Hydrogels Enabled by a Multifunctional Initiating and Cross-Linking Agent

Cryogenic Mechanical Properties and Stability of Polymer Films for Liquid Oxygen Hoses

To select the appropriate polymer thin films for liquid oxygen composite hoses, the liquid oxygen compatibility and the cryogenic mechanical properties of four fluoropolymer films (PCTFE, ETFE, FEP and PFA) and two non-fluoropolymer films (PET and PI) before and after immersion in liquid oxygen for an extended time were investigated. The results indicated that the four fluoropolymers were compatible with liquid oxygen before and after immersion for 60 days, and the two non-fluoropolymers were not compatible with liquid oxygen. In addition, the cryogenic mechanical properties of these polymer films underwent changes with the immersion time, and the changes in the non-fluoropolymer films were more pronounced. The cryogenic mechanical properties of the two non-fluoropolymer films were always superior to those of the four fluoropolymer films during the immersion. Further analysis indicated that the fundamental reason for these changes in the cryogenic mechanical properties was the variation in the crystalline phase structure caused by the ultra-low temperature, which was not related to the strong oxidizing properties of the liquid oxygen. Analytical results can provide useful guidance on how to select the appropriate material combination to obtain a reasonable liquid oxygen composite hose structure.

Changes in the Mechanical Properties of Alginate-Gelatin Hydrogels with the Addition of Pygeum africanum with Potential Application in Urology

New hydrogel materials developed to improve soft tissue healing are an alternative for medical applications, such as tissue regeneration or enhancing the biotolerance effect in the tissue-implant–body fluid system. The biggest advantages of hydrogel materials are the presence of a large amount of water and a polymeric structure that corresponds to the extracellular matrix, which allows to create healing conditions similar to physiological ones. The present work deals with the change in mechanical properties of sodium alginate mixed with gelatin containing Pygeum africanum. The work primarily concentrates on the evaluation of the mechanical properties of the hydrogel materials produced by the sol–gel method. The antimicrobial activity of the hydrogels was investigated based on the population growth dynamics of Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, as well as the degree of degradation after contact with urine using an innovative method with a urine flow simulation stand. On the basis of mechanical tests, it was found that sodium alginate-based hydrogels with gelatin showed weaker mechanical properties than without the additive. In addition, gelatin accelerates the degradation process of the produced hydrogel materials. Antimicrobial studies have shown that the presence of African plum bark extract in the hydrogel enhances the inhibitory effect on Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The research topic was considered due to the increased demand from patients for medical devices to promote healing of urethral epithelial injuries in order to prevent the formation of urethral strictures.

Double-Network Tough Hydrogels: A Brief Review on Achievements and Challenges

This brief review attempts to summarize research advances in the mechanical toughness and structures of double-network (DN) hydrogels. The focus is to provide a critical and concise discussion on the toughening mechanisms, damage recoverability, stress relaxation, and biomedical applications of tough DN hydrogel systems. Both conventional DN hydrogel with two covalently cross-linked networks and novel DN systems consisting of physical and reversible cross-links are discussed and compared. Covalently cross-linked hydrogels are tough but damage-irreversible. Physically cross-linked hydrogels are damage-recoverable but exhibit mechanical instability, as reflected by stress relaxation tests. This remains one significant challenge to be addressed by future research studies to realize the load-sustaining applications proposed for tough hydrogels. With their special structure and superior mechanical properties, DN hydrogels have great potential for biomedical applications, and many DN systems are now fabricated with 3D printing techniques.