Issue 41, 2019

Double network hydrogels based on semi-rigid polyelectrolyte physical networks

Abstract

Applying the double network principle to develop tough hydrogels with different polymer chemistries is important for the potential application of hydrogel materials. Synthesis of the two interpenetrated networks with contrasting structure and properties required for double networks usually involves a two-step polymerization process. In this work, we present a new method to synthesize tough double network hydrogels by post-physical crosslinking of linear semi-rigid polyelectrolytes entrapped in a chemically crosslinked neutral network. Owing to their semi-rigid structure, the linear polyelectrolytes form a brittle physical network above their overlap concentration in multi-valent ZrCl2O ion solutions without macroscopic phase separation within the flexible neutral network. The double network hydrogels thus prepared exhibit high modulus (∼1.7 MPa), strength (∼1.3 MPa), fracture strain (∼7.3), and strain energy density (∼5.9 MJ m−3), while containing over 80% water. These materials also exhibit modest self-healing ability (∼51% after 30 minutes), demonstrating an additional benefit of a physical sacrificial network. This method is simpler than the conventional two-step polymerization and could be applied to develop tough hydrogels from rigid polyelectrolytes, including biopolymers such as DNA, HA, and chondroitin sulfate.

Graphical abstract: Double network hydrogels based on semi-rigid polyelectrolyte physical networks

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Communication
Submitted
18 Qas 2019
Accepted
10 Qad 2019
First published
11 Qad 2019

J. Mater. Chem. B, 2019,7, 6347-6354

Double network hydrogels based on semi-rigid polyelectrolyte physical networks

R. Takahashi, T. Ikai, T. Kurokawa, D. R. King and J. P. Gong, J. Mater. Chem. B, 2019, 7, 6347 DOI: 10.1039/C9TB01217F

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements