Molecular movements of trehalose inside a single network enabling a rapidly-recoverable tough hydrogel

• Published in: International journal of smart and nano materials Vol. 13; no. 4; pp. 575 - 596
• Main Authors: Huang, Xiaowen, Fu, Jimin, Tan, Huiyan, Miu, Yan, Xu, Mengda, Zhao, Qiuhua, Xie, Yujie, Sun, Shengtong, Yao, Haimin, Zhang, Lidong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Abingdon Taylor & Francis 02.10.2022; Taylor & Francis Ltd; Taylor & Francis Group
• Subjects: Actuators; Bionics; Chemical bonds; Fracture toughness; highly recoverable tough hydrogels; Hydrogels; Hydrogen bonding; Kinetics; molecular dynamics simulation; molecular motility; Polyacrylamide; puncture resistance; Recoverability; Trehalose
• ISSN: 1947-5411; 1947-542X
• DOI: 10.1080/19475411.2022.2116735

It remains a challenge to achieve rapidly recoverable hydrogels by molecular hydrogen-bonding interaction because of its slow interaction kinetics. This work for the first time reports a trehalose (Tre)-based molecular movement mechanism inside a single network of polyacrylamide (PAM) that accelerates the kinetics of hydrogen-bonding interaction, and thereby endows the hydrogel with high toughness and rapid shape and mechanical recoverability. The resultant PAM@Tre hydrogel is capable of full shape recovery after 10,000 loading/unloading cycles at a strain of 500%. Even after being stretched at a strain of 2500%, it can recover to its original shape within 10 seconds. Moreover, the molecular movement of trehalose also endows the PAM@Tre hydrogel with fracture energy and toughness as high as ~9000 J m -2 and ~1600 kJ m -3 , respectively, leading to strong resistance to both static and dynamic piercing. The PAM@Tre hydrogel is thus believed to have enormous potentials in protection devices, bionic skin, soft actuator, and stretchable electronics.