Issue 37, 2018

Anisotropic contraction of fiber-reinforced hydrogels

Abstract

Hydrogels reinforced by fibers can undergo remarkable anisotropic contraction triggered by external stimuli, which has a broad appeal for various applications. However, little is known about how to optimize the contraction anisotropy by tuning the microstructures of fiber-reinforced hydrogels. Here, we investigate the underlying mechanisms controlling the anisotropic contraction of fiber-reinforced hydrogels. Using a simplified model incorporating the directional constraint of the fibers, we show that the contraction anisotropy can be substantially enhanced if the hydrogel is prestretched along the fiber direction. We further explicitly model fibers as periodically distributed cylindrical rods in the finite element simulations, and find that the contraction anisotropy can be maximized by varying the transverse fiber–fiber distance; this maximum anisotropy can be improved by reducing the longitudinal fiber–fiber distance and increasing the fiber length. Our study provides insights into designing novel fiber-reinforced hydrogels, suggesting possible applications in soft robotics, tissue engineering and beyond.

Graphical abstract: Anisotropic contraction of fiber-reinforced hydrogels

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
19 Jun 2018
Accepted
03 Sep 2018
First published
04 Sep 2018

Soft Matter, 2018,14, 7731-7739

Author version available

Anisotropic contraction of fiber-reinforced hydrogels

S. Liu, S. I. Stupp and M. Olvera de la Cruz, Soft Matter, 2018, 14, 7731 DOI: 10.1039/C8SM01251B

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