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High strength and self-healable gelatin/polyacrylamide double network hydrogels
Xiaoqiang Yan1, Qiang Chen, Lin Zhu
1School of Materials Science and Engineering, Henan Polytechnic University, Jiaozuo, 454003, China. qiangcheneric@163.com.
Journal of Materials Chemistry. B
|April 9, 2020
Summary
This study developed strong and self-healing Gelatin/Polyacrylamide double network (DN) hydrogels. These advanced biomaterials exhibit remarkable mechanical strength and rapid recovery, paving the way for new biomedical applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
- Biomaterials Engineering
Background:
- Double network (DN) hydrogels offer a versatile platform for integrating diverse mechanical properties.
- Achieving simultaneous high strength and self-healing in DN hydrogels remains a significant challenge in materials science.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design and synthesize Gelatin/Polyacrylamide (Gelatin/PAAm) DN hydrogels with enhanced strength and self-healing capabilities.
- To investigate the structure-property relationships governing the mechanical performance and self-healing efficiency of these novel DN hydrogels.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of Gelatin/PAAm DN hydrogels utilizing thermo-reversible, physically crosslinked gelatin and covalently crosslinked polyacrylamide networks.
- Comprehensive characterization of mechanical properties, including Young's modulus, fracture strength, fracture strain, and energy dissipation.
- Evaluation of self-recovery and self-healing efficiencies under various conditions, including physiological temperatures.
Main Results:
- Optimized Gelatin/PAAm DN gels exhibited superior mechanical properties (E=84 kPa, σf=0.268 MPa, εf=40.69 mm/mm, W=6.01 MJ/m³) and significant hysteresis.
- Rapid self-recovery was observed, with approximately 87% toughness recovery at room temperature, attributed to the first gelatin network's energy dissipation.
- The absence of chemical crosslinkers in the second network facilitated both high mechanical strength and fast self-healing, achieving 53% healing efficiency at physiological temperatures.
Conclusions:
- Gelatin/PAAm DN hydrogels successfully combine high mechanical strength, rapid self-recovery, and efficient self-healing properties.
- The unique network design, leveraging thermo-reversible gelatin, is key to achieving these synergistic properties.
- These findings highlight the potential of Gelatin/PAAm DN hydrogels as advanced thermoresponsive biomaterials for diverse biomedical applications.
