Rapidly damping hydrogels engineered through molecular friction

Autor: Zhengyu Xu, Jiajun Lu, Di Lu, Yiran Li, Hai Lei, Bin Chen, Wenfei Li, Bin Xue, Yi Cao, Wei Wang
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2024
Předmět:
Zdroj: Nature Communications, Vol 15, Iss 1, Pp 1-11 (2024)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2041-1723
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49239-4
Popis: Abstract Hydrogels capable of swift mechanical energy dissipation hold promise for a range of applications including impact protection, shock absorption, and enhanced damage resistance. Traditional energy absorption in such materials typically relies on viscoelastic mechanisms, involving sacrificial bond breakage, yet often suffers from prolonged recovery times. Here, we introduce a hydrogel designed for friction-based damping. This hydrogel features an internal structure that facilitates the motion of a chain walker within its network, effectively dissipating mechanical stress. The hydrogel network architecture allows for rapid restoration of its damping capacity, often within seconds, ensuring swift material recovery post-deformation. We further demonstrate that this hydrogel can significantly shield encapsulated cells from mechanical trauma under repetitive compression, owing to its proficient energy damping and rapid rebound characteristics. Therefore, this hydrogel has potential for dynamic load applications like artificial muscles and synthetic cartilage, expanding the use of hydrogel dampers in biomechanics and related areas.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals