High strength zwitterionic nano-micelle hydrogels with superior self-healing, adhesive and ion conductive properties

• Published in: European polymer journal 2020-06, Vol.133, p.109761, Article 109761
• Main Authors: Sun, Yuanna, Lu, Shuaishuai, Li, Qingshan, Ren, Yanwei, Ding, Yuanqing, Wu, Hailiang, He, Xinhai, Shang, Yudong
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Ammonium hydroxide; Conductivity; Copolymerization; Cross-linker; Crosslinking; Crosslinking polymerization; Hydrogel; Hydrogels; Mechanical properties; Micelles; Monomers; Poloxamers; Polyhydroxyethyl methacrylate; Polymerization; Self-healing property; Strain; Toughness; Zwitterions
• ISSN: 0014-3057; 1873-1945
• DOI: 10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2020.109761

This zwitterionic novel hydrogel featured toughness, adhesiveness, as well as self-healable and conductive properties. [Display omitted] •Multi-functional nano-micelles were the first time being used as macro-crosslinkers in zwitterionic hydrogels systems.•The reversible dissociation-association of the micelles and the strong electrostatic interaction of PSBMA chains in the gel network provides self-healing property to the present hydrogels.•The zwitterionic hydrogel featured toughness, adhesiveness, as well as conductive properties. Zwitterionic nano-micelle hydrogels were prepared by in situ co-polymerization of zwitterionic monomer- [2-(methacryloyloxy) ethyl] dimethyl-(3-sulfopropyl) ammonium hydroxide (SBMA) and nonionic monomer-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) for the first time using Pluronic F127 di-acrylate (F127DA) as macro-crosslinkers. This novel hydrogel featured tough mechanical properties (sustained a strain at 98% without fracture, and a tensile fracture strain at about 1000%), adhesiveness, as well as good conductive properties (two times than the traditional chemical cross-linked zwitterionic hydrogels). Due to strong electrostatic attraction constructed by the positively and negatively charged groups in the zwitterionic hydrogels, and the reversible dissociation-association of the micelle cross-linked zones via hydrophobic associations in the gel network, the prepared micelle-based hydrogels also exhibited excellent self-healable properties, the self-healed hydrogels exhibited almost the same stretching behavior compared with the original hydrogels. This superior zwitterionic nano-micelle hydrogel could therefore have great potential in applications like wearable sensors, human-health monitors, artificial skin and axon.