Polyacrylamide/Copper‐Alginate Double Network Hydrogel Electrolyte with Excellent Mechanical Properties and Strain‐Sensitivity

• Published in: Macromolecular bioscience Vol. 22; no. 2; pp. e2100361 - n/a
• Main Authors: Zhang, Zeyu, Lin, Tingrui, Li, Shuangxiao, Chen, Xibang, Que, Xueyan, Sheng, Lang, Hu, Yang, Peng, Jing, Ma, Huiling, Li, Jiuqiang, Zhang, Wenjuan, Zhai, Maolin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.02.2022
• Subjects: Acrylamide; Acrylic Resins; Alginates - chemistry; Alginic acid; Copper; Copper - chemistry; cupric ion crosslinking; Cupric ions; Durability; Electrolytes; Energy dissipation; Fourier analysis; Fourier transforms; Hydrogels; Hydrogels - chemistry; Infrared analysis; Infrared reflection; Infrared spectroscopy; Ion currents; Mechanical properties; Photoelectron spectroscopy; Photoelectrons; Polyacrylamide; Radiation; Radiation crosslinking; radiation synthesis; Scanning electron microscopy; Sensitivity; Sodium alginate; Spectroscopic analysis; Spectrum analysis; Strain; strain‐sensitivity; Tensile strength; Thermogravimetric analysis; sodium alginate; strain-sensitivity; polyacrylamide; radiation synthesis; cupric ion crosslinking; mechanical properties
• DOI: 10.1002/mabi.202100361
• ISSN: 1616-5187

The double network (DN) hydrogel has attracted great attention due to its wide applications in daily life. However, synthesis DN hydrogel with excellent mechanical properties is still a big challenge. Here, polyacrylamide/copper‐alginate double network (PAM/Cu‐alg DN) hydrogel electrolyte is successfully synthesized by radiation‐induced polymerization and cross‐linking process of acrylamide with N, N’‐methylene‐bis‐acrylamide and subsequent cupric ion (Cu2+) crosslinking of alginate. The content of sodium alginate, absorbed dose, and the concentration of Cu2+ are investigated in detail for improving the overall properties of PAM/Cu‐alg DN hydrogel electrolyte. The PAM/Cu‐alg DN hydrogel electrolyte synthesizes by radiation technique and Cu2+ crosslinking shows superior mechanical properties with a tensile strength of 2.25 ± 0.02 MPa, excellent energy dissipation mechanism, and the high ionic conductivity of 4.08 ± 0.17 mS cm−1. PAM/Cu‐alg DN hydrogel is characterized with attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses and the reason for the improvement of mechanical properties is illustrated. Furthermore, PAM/Cu‐alg DN hydrogel electrolyte exhibits excellent strain‐sensitivity, cyclic stability, and durability. This work paves for the new way for the preparation of DN hydrogel electrolytes with excellent properties. A new method of γ radiation and Cu2+ crosslinking is developed to obtain the polyacrylamide/copper‐alginate double network (PAM/Cu‐alg DN) hydrogel. The resultant hydrogel has superior tensile properties and excellent energy dissipation mechanism. Furthermore, PAM/Cu‐alg DN hydrogel electrolyte has high ionic conductivity and excellent strain‐sensitivity and cyclic stability, which can be used in the field of hydrogel‐based sensors materials.