We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Hydrogels with Negligible Hysteresis, Enhanced Conductivity, and Good Absorbability Enabled by Synergistic Chain Entanglement and Polyoxometalates
Summary
Researchers developed carboxymethyl chitosan/polyacrylamide hydrogels with interpenetrating networks by combining chain entanglement and polyoxometalates (POMs) in a one-step synthesis, producing materials with negligible hysteresis, enhanced conductivity, and good absorbability. The POMs provided hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interactions that improved mechanical properties, with potential applications in flexible electronics and environmental sensing.
In the structure of hydrogels, nonchemical cross-linking structures (intermolecular interaction and chain entanglement), which are usually formed by some specific functional groups, significantly impact the mechanical properties. Leveraging these functional groups can impart unique application properties to the hydrogel. Herein, this paper combines the strategies of chain entanglement and polyoxometalates (POMs) to prepare carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS)/polyacrylamide (PAM) hydrogels with interpenetrating networks in a one-step process. The introduced POMs have hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interactions with CMCS. The existence of plenty of physical cross-linking and chain entanglement structures enables the hydrogel to maintain outstanding tensile properties, negligible hysteresis, and high recovery under the conditions of high water content (∼92%). POMs doping effectively optimizes the conductivity of the hydrogel, and the presence of abundant functional groups in this system endows the material with multiple environmental responsiveness and adsorption properties (especially a significant adsorption capacity for microplastics). Further, alkaline hydrolysis allows hydrogel recycling into a super water absorbent material. These results indicate that POMs are a highly promising class of dopants, and these hydrogels have potential applications in flexible sensing, water monitoring, and water remediation fields.
Sign in to start a discussion.
More Papers Like This
Synthetic Polymer-based Hydrogels and Properties
Researchers reviewed the synthesis, properties, and applications of synthetic polymer-based hydrogels, summarizing advances in zwitterionic and hybrid formulations that overcome brittleness and poor toughness to enable uses from drug delivery to neural interfaces and bioelectronic devices.
Synthesis, Characterization, and Evaluation of Silver Nanoparticle-Loaded Carboxymethyl Chitosan with Sulfobetaine Methacrylate Hydrogel Nanocomposites for Biomedical Applications
Researchers created a new nanocomposite hydrogel by embedding silver nanoparticles within a chitosan-based material for potential biomedical uses. The material showed strong antibacterial activity against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria while maintaining good biocompatibility with human cells. The study suggests this type of nanocomposite could be useful for wound dressing and other medical applications where infection control is important.
Methylated Biochemical Fulvic Acid-Derived Hydrogels with Improved Swelling Behavior and Water Retention Capacity
Researchers synthesized methylated fulvic acid-derived hydrogels and characterized their swelling behavior and sorption capacity for environmental contaminants, finding that methylation improved water uptake and contaminant binding compared to unmodified fulvic acid hydrogels. The materials show potential for controlled release and remediation applications in water treatment.
Progress, challenge and perspective of hydrogels application in food: a review
Researchers reviewed how hydrogels — water-absorbing polymer networks — can be engineered to detect and remove food contaminants including microplastics, heavy metals, and pesticides, as well as to extend food shelf life. While hydrogels show broad promise for food safety applications, the review notes challenges around scalability and the need for further real-world testing.
Hydrogels: A Comprehensive Review of Structure, Properties, and Multifaceted Applications
This review provides a systematic overview of hydrogel classification, cross-linking mechanisms, and properties, examining their applications in drug delivery, tissue engineering, soft robotics, and sustainable agriculture, and discussing stimuli-responsive behavior and emerging directions in the field.