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Pros and Cons: Supramolecular or Macromolecular: What Is Best for Functional Hydrogels with Advanced Properties?
Author(s) -
Eelkema Rienk,
Pich Andrij
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
advanced materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 10.707
H-Index - 527
eISSN - 1521-4095
pISSN - 0935-9648
DOI - 10.1002/adma.201906012
Subject(s) - self healing hydrogels , materials science , cons , supramolecular chemistry , macromolecule , nanotechnology , polymer science , polymer chemistry , molecule , computer science , organic chemistry , biology , chemistry , biochemistry , programming language
Hydrogels are fascinating soft materials with unique properties. Many biological systems are based on hydrogel‐like structures, underlining their versatility and relevance. The properties of hydrogels strongly depend on the structure of the building blocks they are composed of, as well as the nature of interactions between them in the network structure. Herein, gel networks made by supramolecular interactions are compared to covalent macromolecular networks, drawing conclusions about their performance and application as responsive materials.