A hybrid polyvinyl alcohol/molybdenum disulfide nanosheet hydrogel with light-triggered rapid self-healing capability

Abstract

A hybrid self-healing hydrogel (PM hydrogel), based on polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and chemically exfoliated molybdenum disulfide (ce-MoS₂) nanosheets, was prepared by a simple freeze–thaw method. Due to the excellent photothermal conversion properties of ce-MoS₂ nanosheets, the PM hydrogel self-repaired rapidly under near infrared (NIR) light irradiation for only 3 min with a high healing efficiency of 91.8 ± 3.3%. The PVA content, ce-MoS₂ nanosheet loading and light irradiation time played important roles in the self-healing performance. Additionally, the PM hydrogel also revealed good self-healing properties with a healing efficiency of 60.6 ± 3.6% after the cut surfaces were separated for 24 h. The present approach provides an effective strategy for fabricating fast light-triggered hydrogen-bond based self-healing systems. The as-prepared hybrid PM hydrogel has great potential as a soft biomaterial for long-term applications due to its biocompatibility and self-healing capability.