Highly stretchable, self-healing, and 3D printing prefabricatable hydrophobic association hydrogels with the assistance of electrostatic interaction

• Published in: Polymer chemistry Vol. 11; no. 29; pp. 4741 - 4748
• Main Authors: Chen, Heng, Hao, Beibei, Ge, Penghui, Chen, Shaojun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge Royal Society of Chemistry 07.08.2020
• Subjects: Acrylics; Copolymerization; Crosslinking; Elongation; Emulsion polymerization; Hydrogels; Hydrophobicity; Mechanical properties; Methacrylic acid; Modulus of elasticity; Moisture content; Polymer chemistry; Precursors; Tensile strength; Three dimensional printing
• DOI: 10.1039/d0py00003e
• ISSN: 1759-9954

Outstanding mechanical performances and designable architectures are essential for hydrogels when applied as structural materials. In this work, a series of physically cross-linked hydrogels were prepared by copolymerization of a hydrophobic monomer of butyl acrylate and an ampholytic cross-linker of 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate and methacrylic acid, followed by soaking in water. The ampholytic cross-linker supported the 3D-printing fabrication of hydrogel precursors, and further hydrated to induce hydrophobic association and caused the transformation from hydrogel precursors to hydrogels. These hydrogels with a water content of 10.4-57.0 wt% possessed excellent mechanical properties, with a tensile strength, elongation at break, and Young's modulus of 61.0-103.4 kPa, 1150-1560%, and 42.7-125.7 kPa, respectively, and meanwhile exhibited fast and high autonomous self-healing ability. This work developed a facile strategy to prepare self-healing hydrophobic association hydrogels besides emulsion polymerization, and offer new ways to construct physically cross-linked hydrogels with designable architectures. Self-healing and 3D printing prefabricatable physically crosslinked hydrogels were prepared by copolymerization of butyl acrylate, 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate, and methacrylic acid, followed by soaking in water.