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Toughening Double-Network Hydrogels by Polyelectrolytes.

Mengyuan Zhang¹, Yuxuan Yang², Meng Li¹

¹Engineering Research Center of Energy Storage Materials and Devices, Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China.

Advanced Materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)

|March 20, 2023

Summary

Polyelectrolytes enhance hydrogel mechanical properties via the Hoffmeister effect, offering a biocompatible alternative to inorganic salts. This strategy improves strength, toughness, and promotes tissue regeneration for biomedical applications.

Keywords:

double-network hydrogels mechanical properties poly(vinyl alcohol)polyelectrolytes soft tissue repair

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Area of Science:

Materials Science
Polymer Chemistry
Biomedical Engineering

Background:

The Hoffmeister effect of inorganic salts can toughen hydrogels but may compromise biocompatibility.
Polyelectrolytes offer a promising avenue to leverage the Hoffmeister effect for hydrogel strengthening.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the use of polyelectrolytes to enhance hydrogel mechanical properties through the Hoffmeister effect.
To develop advanced hydrogels for biomedical applications, such as hernia inhibition and soft tissue regeneration.

Main Methods:

Introduction of anionic poly(sodium acrylate) into poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) hydrogel.
Induction of PVA aggregation and crystallization via the Hoffmeister effect.
Tuning hydrogel properties by varying polyelectrolyte concentration, ionization degree, hydrophobicity, and type.

Main Results:

Significant improvements in tensile strength (73x), compressive strength (64x), Young's modulus (28x), toughness (135x), and fracture energy (19x) were observed.
Mechanical properties were tunable across a wide range by adjusting polyelectrolyte characteristics.
The strategy was effective for other polymers and polyelectrolytes sensitive to the Hoffmeister effect.
Incorporation of urea bonds further enhanced mechanical properties and antiswelling capabilities.

Conclusions:

Polyelectrolytes effectively enhance hydrogel mechanical performance via the Hoffmeister effect, providing a biocompatible toughening strategy.
Tunable mechanical properties make these hydrogels suitable for various applications.
The developed hydrogel demonstrated efficacy as a biomedical patch for abdominal wall defect repair, inhibiting hernia formation and promoting tissue regeneration.