Spider-silk-inspired strong and tough hydrogel fibers with anti-freezing and water retention properties
South China University of Technology · National Medical Products Administration · +1 more institution
Abstract
Ideal hydrogel fibers with high toughness and environmental tolerance are indispensable for their long-term application in flexible electronics as actuating and sensing elements. However, current hydrogel fibers exhibit poor mechanical properties and environmental instability due to their intrinsically weak molecular (chain) interactions. Inspired by the multilevel adjustment of spider silk network structure by ions, bionic hydrogel fibers with elaborated ionic crosslinking and crystalline domains are constructed. Bionic hydrogel fibers show a toughness of 162.25 ± 21.99 megajoules per cubic meter, comparable to that of spider silks. The demonstrated bionic structural engineering strategy can be generalized to…
Citation impact
- FWCI
- 27.51
- Percentile
- 100%
- References
- 62
Authors
9Topics & keywords
- Spider silk
- Materials science
- Toughness
- Self-healing hydrogels
- Polymer
- SILK
- Nanotechnology
- Composite material