Ultrasound Cavitation Enables Rapid, Initiator-Free Fabrication of Tough Anti-Freezing Hydrogels.

ABSTRACT: Hydrogels are often synthesized with thermal or photo-initiated gelation, leaving alternative energy sources less explored. While ultrasound has been used for polymer synthesis and mechanochemistry, its application through cavitation for hydrogel synthesis as a constructive force is rare, and the underlying sonochemical mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, the application and mechanism of ultrasound cavitation for rapid, initiator-free, and oxygen-tolerant fabrication of tough anti-freezing hydrogels is reported. By incorporating polyol solvents and interpenetrating polymers into the gelling solution, radical generation is amplified and network formation is enhanced. Using tough polyacrylamide-alginate hydrogels as a model system, rapid gelation (as fast as 2 minutes) and high fracture

SUBMITTER: Cheng Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12165056 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature