Spontaneously Self-Regenerative Hybrid Luminescent Hydrogel

• Published in: ACS applied polymer materials 2021-02, Vol.3 (2), p.604-609
• Main Authors: Zhu, Tiyun, Liu, Ruyu, Peng, Bo, Zhu, Kongyi, Liu, Xiao, Li, Bin, Li, Zhiqiang, Li, Huanrong
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 2637-6105; 2637-6105
• DOI: 10.1021/acsapm.0c01289

Luminescent hydrogels are of immense importance for various applications; however, they often are severely damaged during long-term storage and transportation, which have been the major barriers impeding their further application in the industrial realm. On the other hand, the emerging self-healable materials also suffer from a high dependence on freshness or require external substance assistance or energy imput. We herein for the first time report spontaneously self-regenerative luminescent hydrogels prepared via copolymerization of an acrylamide–lanthanide complex in the presence of a sodium alginate skeleton. The hydrogel–powder–hydrogel regeneration cycles can be repeated for multiple rounds with both mechanical and luminescence properties restored, even long after being ground into powder. This work highlights a simple strategy that can effectively address the long-term storage and transportation obstacles and thus pushes forward the further practical application of luminescent hydrogels in various fields.