Press Release

Tough hydrogels with rapid self-reinforcement

Release:Jun 4, 2021
  • News
  • Press Release

Tougher when stressed

Hydrogels are typically weak materials because they contain only a small fraction of polymeric material highly swollen with water. Strength can be increased by adding extra cross-linking or interpenetrating networks with some sacrificial bonds to enhance toughness; however, these properties deteriorate upon stretching and may be slow to recover after relaxation. Liu et al. developed polyethylene glycol hydrogels cross-linked with moderate fractions of polymers that form sliding rings. These allow the chain to orient in parallel when stretched, leading to rapid and reversible strain-induced crystallization and thus much tougher hydrogels.

Article

Publication : Science(6/4)

Title : Tough Hydrogels with Rapid Self-reinforcement

Author : Chang Liu, Naoya Morimoto, Lan Jiang, Sohei Kawahara, Takako Noritomi, Hideaki Yokoyama, Koichi Mayumi*, Kohzo Ito*

DOI : 10.1126/science.aaz6694

  • hatebu
  • X
  • Facebook
  • LINE