Hierarchically structuralized hydrogels with ligament-like mechanical performance.

ABSTRACT: Mechanical properties of synthetic hydrogels remain inferior to those of load-bearing tissues such as ligaments, one of the strongest and stiffest natural hydrogels in the human body. Inspired by biological structures and their mechanisms conferring high mechanical properties, we report strong, stiff, and tough hydrogels composed of fiber-shaped elements that can be assembled into parallel bundles, closely resembling natural ligaments. These hydrogel fibers, readily fabricated with diameters of a few hundred micrometers, comprise polymer-particle hybrid agglomerates embedded in a continuous, interconnected polymer matrix. Strong polymer-particle interactions combined with spatial confinement within the agglomerates enable efficient load transfer, resulting in significant load-transfer leng

SUBMITTER: Shi D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12749280 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature