letterTop 10% cited

Strengthening Alginate/Polyacrylamide Hydrogels Using Various Multivalent Cations

ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces · 2013 · Vol. 5(21) · pp. 10418–10422

Can Yang✉(Xi'an Jiaotong University)Mei Xiang Wang(Xi'an Jiaotong University)Hussain Haider(Xi'an Jiaotong University)Jianhai Yang(Xi'an Jiaotong University)Jeong‐Yun Sun(Harvard University)Yong Mei Chen(Xi'an Jiaotong University)Jinxiong Zhou(Xi'an Jiaotong University)Zhigang Suo(Harvard University)

View via DOI Publisher page

Abstract

We successfully synthesized a family of alginate/polyacrylamide hydrogels using various multivalent cations. These hydrogels exhibit exceptional mechanical properties. In particular, we discovered that the hydrogels cross-linked by trivalent cations are much stronger than those cross-linked by divalent cations. We demonstrate stretchability and toughness of the hydrogels by inflating a hydrogel sheet into a large balloon, and the elasticity by using a hydrogel block as a vibration isolator in a forced vibration test. The excellent mechanical properties of these hydrogels may open up applications for hydrogels.

Hydrogels: synthesis, properties, applications Advanced Materials and Mechanics Advanced Sensor and Energy Harvesting MaterialsSelf-healing hydrogelsMaterials sciencePolyacrylamideToughnessChemical engineeringComposite materialPolymer chemistry