Issue 36, 2020

A facile approach to obtain highly tough and stretchable LAPONITE®-based nanocomposite hydrogels

Abstract

LAPONITE® sheets have been widely used for the preparation of tough nanocomposite hydrogels for enticing applications; however, their inferior dispersion in aqueous media resulting from electrostatic interactions between the nanosheets remarkably limits further improvements in the mechanical performances of the nanocomposite hydrogels. Here, we show a simple approach to dramatically accelerate the dispersion of LAPONITE® sheets in water, and in turn further improve the mechanical performances of the resulting nanocomposite hydrogels. Upon addition of poly(acrylic acid) (PAA), the electrostatic interactions between the LAPONITE® sheets were effectively reduced due to the adsorption of PAA onto the positively charged edges of the LAPONITE® sheets, thereby accelerating the dispersion of the LAPONITE® sheets in water. On this basis, a series of polyacrylamide (PAAm) hydrogels with a high content of LAPONITE® sheets was prepared, showing excellent tensile strength, stretchability, and anti-fatigue properties. This study will be beneficial for the preparation of LAPONITE®-based nanocomposite hydrogels bearing excellent mechanical properties for new applications.

Graphical abstract: A facile approach to obtain highly tough and stretchable LAPONITE®-based nanocomposite hydrogels

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
20 Jun 2020
Accepted
28 Jul 2020
First published
31 Jul 2020

Soft Matter, 2020,16, 8394-8399

A facile approach to obtain highly tough and stretchable LAPONITE®-based nanocomposite hydrogels

X. Liu, X. Niu, Z. Fu, L. Liu, S. Bai, J. Wang, L. Li, Y. Wang and X. Guo, Soft Matter, 2020, 16, 8394 DOI: 10.1039/D0SM01132K

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