Preparation and characterization of PA/P(AA-co-AM) composite hydrogels via photopolymerization

The present study synthesized a deep eutectic solvent (DES) using acrylic acid (AA), acrylamide (AM), and choline chloride (ChCl), and added phytic acid (PA) as a filler. Subsequently, the PA/P(AA-co-AM) composite hydrogel was prepared under ultraviolet irradiation and used a photoinitiator. Characterization of the hydrogels was conducted using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The study aimed to investigate the impact of PA on the mechanical properties, fatigue resistance, and electrical conductivity of the composite hydrogel. The findings demonstrated that as the mass fraction of PA increased, the compressive strength of the composite hydrogel gradually decreased, yet the fatigue resistance of the composite hydrogel increased. Specifically, after 10 cycles of compression, the resilience recovery rate of FP0 dropped from 86.9% to 70.4%, the maximum stress recovery rate of FP1 dropped from 97.9% to 89.4%, the maximum stress recovery rate of FP2 dropped from 94.4% to 86.6%, and the maximum stress recovery rate of FP3 dropped from 97.3% to 93%. Overall, this study offers a straightforward and efficient method for producing composite hydrogels with both fatigue resistance and electrical conductivity.