Reliable Hydrogel with Mechanical "Fuse Link" in an Aqueous Environment
Shinji Kondo1, Takashi Hiroi2, Young-Soo Han3
1Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8656, Japan.
Advanced Materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
|October 8, 2015
Abstract:
A robust hydrogel with a reliable deformation region in an aqueous environment is proposed. The gel has a homogeneous network where hydrophilic/hydrophobic components are uniformly distributed. In an aqueous environment, aggregated hydrophobic segments serve as "mechanical fuse links," inhibiting sudden macroscopic fracture. The gel endures threefold stretching for more than 100 cycles in water without mechanical hysteresis.
