Tough double network hydrogels with rapid self-reinforcement and low hysteresis based on highly entangled networks

Abstract Most tough hydrogels are reinforced by introducing energy dissipation mechanisms, but simultaneously realizing a high toughness and low hysteresis is challenging because the energy dissipation structure cannot recover rapidly. In this work, high mechanical performance highly entangled double network hydrogels without energy dissipation structure are fabricated, in which physical entanglements act as the primary effective crosslinking in the first network. This sliding entanglement structure allows the hydrogel network to form a highly uniform oriented structure during stretching, resulting in a high tensile strength of ~3 MPa, a fracture energy of 8340 J m −2 and a strain-stiffening capability of 47.5…

• NN
  National Natural Science Foundation of China

  Award: 22075177