Molecular movements of trehalose inside a single network enabling a rapidly-recoverable tough hydrogel. Issue 4 (2nd October 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Huang, Xiaowen; Fu, Jimin; Tan, Huiyan; Miu, Yan; Xu, Mengda; Zhao, Qiuhua; Xie, Yujie; Sun, Shengtong; Yao, Haimin; Zhang, Lidong
• Is Part Of: International journal of smart and nano materials. Volume 13:Issue 4(2022)
• Page Start: 575
• Page End: 596
• Publication Date: 2022-10-02
• Subjects: molecular motility -- highly recoverable tough hydrogels -- puncture resistance -- molecular dynamics simulation; Smart materials -- Periodicals; Nanostructured materials -- Periodicals; Nanoscience -- Periodicals; 620.505
• DOI: 10.1080/19475411.2022.2116735
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1947-5411

Abstract

ABSTRACT: It remains a challenge to achieve rapidly recoverable hydrogels by molecular hydrogen-bonding interaction because of its slow interaction kinetics. This work for the first time reports a trehalose (Tre)-based molecular movement mechanism inside a single network of polyacrylamide (PAM) that accelerates the kinetics of hydrogen-bonding interaction, and thereby endows the hydrogel with high toughness and rapid shape and mechanical recoverability. The resultant PAM@Tre hydrogel is capable of full shape recovery after 10, 000 loading/unloading cycles at a strain of 500%. Even after being stretched at a strain of 2500%, it can recover to its original shape within 10 seconds. Moreover, the molecular movement of trehalose also endows the PAM@Tre hydrogel with fracture energy and toughness as high as ~9000 J m –2 and ~1600 kJ m –3, respectively, leading to strong resistance to both static and dynamic piercing. The PAM@Tre hydrogel is thus believed to have enormous potentials in protection devices, bionic skin, soft actuator, and stretchable electronics. Graphical abstract: uf0001