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Hydrogels from Amorphous Calcium Carbonate and Polyacrylic Acid: Bio‐Inspired Materials for “Mineral Plastics”
Author(s) -
Sun Shengtong,
Mao LiBo,
Lei Zhouyue,
Yu ShuHong,
Cölfen Helmut
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
angewandte chemie international edition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.831
H-Index - 550
eISSN - 1521-3773
pISSN - 1433-7851
DOI - 10.1002/anie.201602849
Subject(s) - materials science , self healing hydrogels , calcium carbonate , polyacrylic acid , thermochromism , hybrid material , acrylic acid , raw material , amorphous solid , environmentally friendly , polymer , chemical engineering , composite material , nanotechnology , chemistry , polymer chemistry , organic chemistry , copolymer , ecology , engineering , biology
Abstract Given increasing environmental issues due to the large usage of non‐biodegradable plastics based on petroleum, new plastic materials, which are economic, environmentally friendly, and recyclable are in high demand. One feasible strategy is the bio‐inspired synthesis of mineral‐based hybrid materials. Herein we report a facile route for an amorphous CaCO 3 (ACC)‐based hydrogel consisting of very small ACC nanoparticles physically cross‐linked by poly(acrylic acid). The hydrogel is shapeable, stretchable, and self‐healable. Upon drying, the hydrogel forms free‐standing, rigid, and transparent objects with remarkable mechanical performance. By swelling in water, the material can completely recover the initial hydrogel state. As a matrix, thermochromism can also be easily introduced. The present hybrid hydrogel may represent a new class of plastic materials, the “mineral plastics”.