An in situ inhibition strategy: Forming a physical barrier around ionic crosslinkers to toughen double-network hydrogels
Ionically crosslinked networks are extremely effective in reinforcing double-network (DN) hydrogels. But the simultaneous improvement of both homogeneity and ionic crosslinking density remains as a challenge for toughing DN hydrogels. Herein, an in situ inhibition method is proposed to solve this pr...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Materials & Design |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264127522011455 |
| _version_ | 1811175490667413504 |
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| author | Nannan Jian Jiuling Wang Lei Zuo Kai Zhang |
| author_facet | Nannan Jian Jiuling Wang Lei Zuo Kai Zhang |
| author_sort | Nannan Jian |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Ionically crosslinked networks are extremely effective in reinforcing double-network (DN) hydrogels. But the simultaneous improvement of both homogeneity and ionic crosslinking density remains as a challenge for toughing DN hydrogels. Herein, an in situ inhibition method is proposed to solve this problem. In this method, inhibitor is generated in situ to form a physical barrier around the ionic crosslinker, thereby decreasing the ionic crosslinking rate and further toughening DN hydrogels in a controllable manner. The chemical structure, micromorphology and mechanical properties were investigated, and molecular dynamics simulations were performed to reveal the inhibition mechanism. The transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images confirm the formation of inhibitors. It is revealed that the introduction of inhibitor can decrease ionic crosslinking rate, leading to an improvement in homogeneity and mechanical properties. The fracture energy of alginate-Ca2+/polyacrylamide (PAAm) DN hydrogels is up to 19,638 ± 947 J/m2, which is notably larger than the previously reported values (9000–16,000 J/m2). The inhibitor does not affect the chemical structures, thermal stability and micromorphology. This in situ inhibition method has significant potential to become a general method to toughen DN hydrogels containing ionically crosslinked networks, which will greatly promote the usage of hydrogels in diverse engineering applications. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T19:36:48Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a3d244d223774e51b93e57f158d090dd |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0264-1275 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T19:36:48Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Materials & Design |
| spelling | doaj.art-a3d244d223774e51b93e57f158d090dd2023-01-30T04:12:23ZengElsevierMaterials & Design0264-12752023-01-01225111522An in situ inhibition strategy: Forming a physical barrier around ionic crosslinkers to toughen double-network hydrogelsNannan Jian0Jiuling Wang1Lei Zuo2Kai Zhang3School of Aerospace Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, People's Republic of ChinaSchool of Aerospace Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, People's Republic of ChinaSchool of Aerospace Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, People's Republic of China; Corresponding authors at: School of Aerospace Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, People's Republic of China (K. Zhang).School of Aerospace Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, People's Republic of China; Tangshan Research Institute, Beijing Institute of Technology, Tangshan 063000, People's Republic of China; Corresponding authors at: School of Aerospace Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, People's Republic of China (K. Zhang).Ionically crosslinked networks are extremely effective in reinforcing double-network (DN) hydrogels. But the simultaneous improvement of both homogeneity and ionic crosslinking density remains as a challenge for toughing DN hydrogels. Herein, an in situ inhibition method is proposed to solve this problem. In this method, inhibitor is generated in situ to form a physical barrier around the ionic crosslinker, thereby decreasing the ionic crosslinking rate and further toughening DN hydrogels in a controllable manner. The chemical structure, micromorphology and mechanical properties were investigated, and molecular dynamics simulations were performed to reveal the inhibition mechanism. The transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images confirm the formation of inhibitors. It is revealed that the introduction of inhibitor can decrease ionic crosslinking rate, leading to an improvement in homogeneity and mechanical properties. The fracture energy of alginate-Ca2+/polyacrylamide (PAAm) DN hydrogels is up to 19,638 ± 947 J/m2, which is notably larger than the previously reported values (9000–16,000 J/m2). The inhibitor does not affect the chemical structures, thermal stability and micromorphology. This in situ inhibition method has significant potential to become a general method to toughen DN hydrogels containing ionically crosslinked networks, which will greatly promote the usage of hydrogels in diverse engineering applications.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264127522011455Double-network (DN) hydrogelsHomogeneityIonic crosslinking densityInhibitorToughness |
| spellingShingle | Nannan Jian Jiuling Wang Lei Zuo Kai Zhang An in situ inhibition strategy: Forming a physical barrier around ionic crosslinkers to toughen double-network hydrogels Materials & Design Double-network (DN) hydrogels Homogeneity Ionic crosslinking density Inhibitor Toughness |
| title | An in situ inhibition strategy: Forming a physical barrier around ionic crosslinkers to toughen double-network hydrogels |
| title_full | An in situ inhibition strategy: Forming a physical barrier around ionic crosslinkers to toughen double-network hydrogels |
| title_fullStr | An in situ inhibition strategy: Forming a physical barrier around ionic crosslinkers to toughen double-network hydrogels |
| title_full_unstemmed | An in situ inhibition strategy: Forming a physical barrier around ionic crosslinkers to toughen double-network hydrogels |
| title_short | An in situ inhibition strategy: Forming a physical barrier around ionic crosslinkers to toughen double-network hydrogels |
| title_sort | in situ inhibition strategy forming a physical barrier around ionic crosslinkers to toughen double network hydrogels |
| topic | Double-network (DN) hydrogels Homogeneity Ionic crosslinking density Inhibitor Toughness |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264127522011455 |
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