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Physically Linked PVA/P(AAm‐ co ‐SMA) Hydrogels: Tough, Fast Recovery, Antifatigue, and Self‐Healing Soft Materials
Author(s) -
Zheng Wen Jiang,
Gao Yang,
Fan Xiao Xi,
Cui Xiao Feng,
Zou Wei,
Zheng Dan,
Yan Jie,
Li Bin
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
macromolecular materials and engineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.913
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1439-2054
pISSN - 1438-7492
DOI - 10.1002/mame.201800104
Subject(s) - self healing hydrogels , materials science , hydrogen bond , polyvinyl alcohol , self healing , micelle , hydrophobic effect , chemical engineering , sma* , interaction energy , acrylate , composite material , polymer chemistry , copolymer , polymer , aqueous solution , organic chemistry , molecule , computer science , chemistry , medicine , alternative medicine , pathology , algorithm , engineering
The application of traditional chemically crosslinked hydrogels is often limited by poor mechanical properties because of their own inhomogeneous network and irreversible crosslinking bonds. Herein, physical interactions are applied to crosslink the interpenetrating network hydrogel, i.e., hydrogen bonding and crystalline domain for polyvinyl alcohol network, and hydrophobic interaction inside micelle for poly (acrylamide‐ co ‐stearyl methyl acrylate) [P(AAm‐ co ‐SMA)] network. In this gel network system, reversible energy dissipation mechanism is realized by dissociation and reassociation of weak interactions including hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interaction inside the micelle. Strong crystalline domains serve as permanent crosslinking interactions to maintain network integrity under large extension. As a result, the synergy of weak and strong interactions leads to tough, antifatigue, fast recovery, and self‐healing properties of the hydrogel. This proposed strategy of achieving versatile hydrogels can broaden the use of hydrogels into load‐bearing applications.