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pH-tunable electro-responsive sodium alginate/chitosan-based Janus polyelectrolyte hydrogel with reversible

Ting Wu1, Qiwei Wang2, Sihan Zhou1

  • 1College of Mechanical Engineering, Jiaxing University, Jiaxing, 314001, China.

International Journal of Biological Macromolecules
|April 29, 2026
PubMed
Summary

This study developed a novel Janus polyelectrolyte hydrogel that overcomes limitations in flexibility, ionic content, and speed for soft actuators. The new material offers programmable bending and enhanced performance for applications in soft robotics and biomedical engineering.

Keywords:
Bidirectional bendingJanus hydrogelPolyelectrolyte hydrogelSoft actuatorpH/electric dual-responsive

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Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Polymer Chemistry
  • Robotics

Background:

  • Conventional chitosan/sodium alginate (CS/SA) ionic hydrogels present a trade-off between flexibility, ionic content, and actuation speed, limiting their use in soft actuators.
  • Developing advanced hydrogels with improved mechanical properties and responsiveness is crucial for next-generation soft robotic systems.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To engineer a Janus polyelectrolyte hydrogel (PCDM/PSSM) that resolves the limitations of traditional CS/SA hydrogels.
  • To achieve superior mechanical properties, high ionic conductivity, and efficient, stimuli-responsive actuation for soft actuators.

Main Methods:

  • Fabrication of a Janus hydrogel via one-pot synthesis, electrohydrodynamic (EHD) printing, and in-situ photopolymerization.
  • Modification of chitosan (CS) and sodium alginate (SA) networks with dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA) and sodium acrylate (AAS), respectively.
  • Characterization of microstructures, mechanical properties, ionic conductivity, and electro-actuation performance.

Main Results:

  • Successful synthesis of a Janus hydrogel with a seamless interface, verified by microstructural analysis.
  • Achieved superior mechanical properties (e.g., PSSM: 78.6 kPa tensile stress, 775.6% strain; PCDM: 52.2 kPa tensile stress, 808.9% strain) and high ionic conductivity (13.81 × 10⁻³ S/cm for PSSM).
  • Demonstrated efficient electro-actuation (155° bending at 10 V) and pH-programmable reversible bidirectional bending (-145° to +151°).

Conclusions:

  • The developed Janus polyelectrolyte hydrogel effectively overcomes the trade-offs in conventional CS/SA hydrogels, offering enhanced performance.
  • This scalable strategy provides high-performance, stimuli-responsive soft actuators suitable for soft robotics, bioinspired systems, and biomedical engineering.
  • The hydrogel's unique pH-programmable bending capability opens new avenues for advanced actuator design.