Mechanically strong hybrid double network hydrogels with antifouling properties

Abstract

The development of mechanically tough and biocompatible polymer hydrogels has great potential and promise for many applications. Herein, we synthesized a new type of hybrid physically-chemically crosslinked Agar/PAM double network (DN) hydrogel using a simple, one-pot method. Agar/PAM gels are designed with desirable/balanced mechanical properties by varying the network-forming parameters.Among them, a strong Agar/PAM DN gel achieves the highest tensile stress of 3.3 MPa at failure strain of 2400%, while a tough DN gel achieves the tensile strain of 3700% at failure stress of 2.8 MPa. Besides excellent mechanical properties, Agar/PAM DN hydrogels exhibited excellent antifouling properties to highly resist protein adsorption, cell adhesion, and bacterial attachment, as well as the free shapeable property to form any complex shapes. The relationship between mechanical properties and antifouling performance was discussed. We hope that the combination of the mechanical and antifouling properties in Agar/PAM gels will make them as promising ''biomimetic'' materials for many bio-inert applications.

Salt-Responsive Zwitterionic Polymer Brushes with Tunable Friction and Antifouling Properties

“…[1][2][3] Especially, many biomedical applications, such as artificial joints (knees, hips, fingers)/eyes and BioMEMS/NEMS, require biological interfaces with superlow friction and biocompatible properties. [4][5][6][7] Natural synovial joints show the high efficiency of the lubrication with friction coefficients as low as ~10 -3 , probably due to bottle-brush-like biolubricants such as phospholipids, hyaluronan (HA), lubricins, and glycoproteins in synovial fluids. [8][9][10] More interestingly, most of these biolubricants are biopolyelectrolytes that contain a large amount of sulfonic and carboxylic groups.…”

Cross‐Linked Nanocellulosic Materials and Their Applications

“…As mentioned above, covalent bonds substantially enhance the mechanical properties (e.g., tensile strength, compression strength, Young's modulus) of cross‐linked NCs and NC‐based materials. However, chemically cross‐linked materials are often difficult to repair and recover from the permanent damage caused by covalent bond rupture of the stiff and brittle network during loading cycles, leading to poor recoverability and fatigue resistance . Therefore, reversible noncovalent bonds instead of sacrificial covalent bonds address this issue.…”

“…However,c hemically cross-linked materials are often difficultt or epair and recover from the permanent damage caused by covalentb ond rupture of the stiff and brittle network during loading cycles, leadingt op oor recoverability and fatigue resistance. [52] Therefore, reversible noncovalentb onds insteado fs acrificial covalent bonds address this issue. Upon deformation,n oncovalent bonds rupture and dissipate the energy in the network, but these bonds can reform during the unloading process, resulting in the recovery of materials from damage.…”

Impermeable Robust Hydrogels via Hybrid Lamination

“…Hydrogels, water‐containing polymer networks, have been widely used in biomedical applications such as drug delivery, tissue engineering, tissue bulking agents, and contact lenses owing to their similar physiological and mechanical properties as natural tissues . More recently, hydrogels have been explored intensively as material candidates for new applications such as medical tubing and catheters, control elements in fluidic devices, antifouling coatings, and soft electronics and machines . However, hydrogels' promise and potential in these new applications have been significantly hampered by their low mechanical robustness and permeability to various molecules .…”