Issue 33, 2014

Light-healable hard hydrogels through photothermally induced melting–crystallization phase transition

Abstract

A general method for preparing mechanically strong hydrogels that can undergo light-triggered healing was demonstrated. By loading a small amount of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs, 0.05 wt%) in hydrogels prepared with stearyl acrylate (SA), N,N-dimethylacrylamide (DMA) and N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide (MBA), whose strength is endowed by chemical crosslinking coexisting with crystallized hydrophobic SA side chains acting as the physical crosslinks, exposing a cut-through damage to a laser of wavelength at the surface plasmon resonance of AuNPs and subsequently turning off the light, gives rise to efficient healing of the hydrogel as a result of the reversible melting–crystallization phase transition of the hydrophobically associated SA chains. A hydrogel of this kind exhibits an unprecedented tensile strength, after repairing, of greater than 2 MPa. It also displays a light-controllable shape memory effect.

Graphical abstract: Light-healable hard hydrogels through photothermally induced melting–crystallization phase transition

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
15 May 2014
Accepted
10 Jun 2014
First published
11 Jun 2014

J. Mater. Chem. A, 2014,2, 13373-13379

Author version available

Light-healable hard hydrogels through photothermally induced melting–crystallization phase transition

H. Zhang, D. Han, Q. Yan, D. Fortin, H. Xia and Y. Zhao, J. Mater. Chem. A, 2014, 2, 13373 DOI: 10.1039/C4TA02463J

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