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PVA/Agar Interpenetrating Network Hydrogel with Fast Healing, High Strength, Antifreeze, and Water Retention
Author(s) -
Han Xin,
Li Mengyu,
Fan Zewen,
Zhang Yu,
Zhang Huihui,
Li Qiaoling
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
macromolecular chemistry and physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.57
H-Index - 112
eISSN - 1521-3935
pISSN - 1022-1352
DOI - 10.1002/macp.202000237
Subject(s) - polyvinyl alcohol , self healing hydrogels , antifreeze , ethylene glycol , self healing , materials science , agar , polyethylene glycol , durability , interpenetrating polymer network , solvent , water retention , composite material , chemical engineering , polymer , chemistry , polymer chemistry , organic chemistry , environmental science , biology , soil water , bacteria , soil science , engineering , genetics , medicine , alternative medicine , pathology
Traditional self‐healing hydrogels have great application prospects in biological engineering because of their extremely high water content, but their durability cannot be easily guaranteed. Therefore, developing a rapid self‐healing hydrogel with long‐lasting water retention capacity is still a significant challenge. A high‐strength and fast self‐healing hydrogel with an interpenetrating double network based on polyvinyl alcohol/agar‐ethylene glycol (PVA/agar‐EG) is proposed. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and agar are designed for the construction of the interpenetrating network. Furthermore, the introduction of a borate‐bonding dynamic action mode affords the hydrogel with extraordinary mechanical strength and rapid self‐healing. The addition of EG as a traveling solvent enables the sample to retain water and prevents freezing in harsh environments, including at high temperatures of 80 °C and extremely low temperatures of −40 °C. Additionally, owing to the intelligent remolding ability of the PVA/agar‐EG hydrogel, the material can be recycled to prolong the service life of the hydrogel. Overall, the PVA/agar‐EG hydrogel developed in this study can provide a new general strategy for the development of intelligent self‐healing devices, and hydrogels can be applied in complex environmental engineering.