One-Step Soaking Approach for the Development of High-Strength, Tough Silicone Hydrogels with Elevated Polysiloxane...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Biomaterials Engineering

Background:

• Silicone hydrogels (SiHys) offer potential in various applications but are limited by poor mechanical properties and low silicone content.
• Existing methods struggle to incorporate high silicone content while maintaining desirable mechanical characteristics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a straightforward and adaptable method for producing double-network SiHys with superior mechanical strength and toughness.
• To enhance silicone content in hydrogels through a novel one-step soaking strategy.

Main Methods:

• A one-step soaking process was employed, involving the hydrophilic modification of amino-modified polydimethylsiloxane (APDMS) with acetic acid (HAc).
• The modified APDMS was incorporated into a poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) network, followed by in situ formation of a physically cross-linked APDMS network using polyhydric-acid salt solutions.
• Tunability was achieved by controlling APDMS concentration and polyhydric-acid salt type.

Main Results:

• The developed method successfully produced SiHys with significantly enhanced mechanical strength and toughness.
• High silicone content was achieved, overcoming a key limitation of conventional SiHys.
• The mechanical properties of the resulting SiHys were effectively tuned by adjusting process parameters.

Conclusions:

• This study presents an innovative and universal technique for preparing high-performance silicon-based hydrogels.
• The method offers a simple yet effective approach to overcome the mechanical limitations of SiHys.
• The advancement holds promise for broader applications of silicon-based hydrogels.