Issue 9, 2023

Ultra-robust, high-adhesive, self-healing, and photothermal zwitterionic hydrogels for multi-sensory applications and solar-driven evaporation

Abstract

Zwitterionic hydrogels have received considerable attention owing to their characteristic structures and integrating multifunctionality. However, the superhydrophilicity-induced poor mechanical properties severely hinder their potential applications. Besides, from the perspective of wide applications, zwitterionic hydrogels with integrated high mechanical properties, conductivity and multifunctionalities including self-adhesive, self-healing, and photothermal properties are highly desirable yet challenging. Herein, a new class of high-performance and multifunctional zwitterionic hydrogels are designed based on the incorporation of polydopamine-coated liquid metal nanoparticles (LM@PDA). Due to the efficient energy dissipation endowed by the isotropically extensible deformation of LM@PDA and the multiple interactions within the hydrogel matrix, the resultant hydrogels exhibited ultrahigh robustness with tensile strength of up to 1.3 MPa, strain of up to 1555% and toughness of up to 7.3 MJ m−3, superior or comparable to those of most zwitterionic hydrogels. The introduced LM@PDA also endows the hydrogels with high conductivity, versatile adhesion, autonomous self-healing, excellent injectability, three-dimensional printability, degradability, and photothermal conversion performance. These preferable properties enable the hydrogels promising as wearable sensors with multiple sensory capabilities for a wide range of strain values (1–500%), pressures (0.5–200 kPa) and temperatures (20–80 °C) with an impressive temperature coefficient of resistance (up to 0.15 °C−1). Moreover, these hydrogels can be also applied as solar evaporators with a high water evaporation rate (up to 2.42 kg m−2 h−1) and solar-thermal conversion efficiency (up to 90.3%) for solar desalination and wastewater purification. The present work can pave the way for the future development of zwitterionic hydrogels and beyond.

Graphical abstract: Ultra-robust, high-adhesive, self-healing, and photothermal zwitterionic hydrogels for multi-sensory applications and solar-driven evaporation

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Communication
Submitted
26 4月 2023
Accepted
28 6月 2023
First published
07 7月 2023

Mater. Horiz., 2023,10, 3807-3820

Ultra-robust, high-adhesive, self-healing, and photothermal zwitterionic hydrogels for multi-sensory applications and solar-driven evaporation

Y. Chen, C. Zhang, R. Yin, M. Yu, Y. Liu, Y. Liu, H. Wang, F. Liu, F. Cao, G. Chen and W. Zhao, Mater. Horiz., 2023, 10, 3807 DOI: 10.1039/D3MH00629H

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