| Abstrakt: |
A recent study conducted at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill has explored the use of hydrogels in various applications such as agriculture, water purification, and biomedicine. Hydrogels are known for their softness, elasticity, and high water uptake, but they are also brittle, especially at high water content. The researchers addressed this issue by using bottlebrush networks with disentangled strands and hidden length reservoirs, which improved the swelling and robustness of the hydrogels while maintaining their softness. The study concluded that these hydrogels had a modulus below 1 kPa and swelling ratios up to 125, making them capable of withstanding up to 10-fold extension. This research has been peer-reviewed and published in Advanced Functional Materials. [Extracted from the article] |
