Advanced chitin-based composite hydrogels enabled by quercetin-mediated assembly for multifunctional applications

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Biomaterials Engineering
• Polymer Chemistry

Background:

• Chitin, a natural polymer, offers unique functionalities for self-assembling complex materials.
• Challenges in chitin-based composite assembly arise from poor solubility and compatibility.
• Developing advanced chitin composites requires strategies to overcome these limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel strategy for enhancing chitin-based composite hydrogel performance.
• To improve the compatibility between chitin and inorganic materials using quercetin.
• To create robust and functional chitin-based composite hydrogels.

Main Methods:

• A quercetin-mediated multiple crosslinking strategy was employed.
• Quercetin was utilized to mediate interfacial interactions between chitin and inorganic fillers.
• Non-covalent interactions were modulated to enhance hydrogel toughness and filler dispersion.

Main Results:

• Achieved high-performance chitin-based composite hydrogels with toughness ranging from 0.70-1.02 MJ·m⁻³.
• Demonstrated effective dispersion of various inorganic materials (molybdenum disulfide, carbon nanotube, calcium carbonate) within the hydrogels.
• Quercetin-mediated interactions enhanced energy dissipation through sacrificial non-covalent bonds.

Conclusions:

• The quercetin-mediated strategy effectively enhances chitin compatibility and hydrogel performance.
• This approach enables the creation of diverse chitin-based composites with tunable functionalities.
• The developed strategy offers a promising pathway for advanced biomaterial development.