Stimuli-responsive supramolecular hydrogels with high extensibility and fast self-healing via precoordinated mussel-inspired chemistry.

ABSTRACT: Supramolecular hydrogels have the advantages of stimuli responsiveness and self-healing compared to covalently crosslinked hydrogels. However, the existing supramolecular hydrogels are usually poor in mechanical properties especially in extensibility. In addition, these supramolecular hydrogels need a long self-healing time and have low self-healing efficiency. In this manuscript, we report a novel strategy to develop highly extensible and fast self-healing supramolecular hydrogels by using pre-coordinated mussel-inspired catechol-Fe³⁺ complexes as dynamic crosslinkers. The hydrogel can be fabricated and cast into various shapes by one-step photo-crosslinking. Thus fabricated hydrogels can be stretched beyond 10 times their original lengths, and the high extensibility can comple

SUBMITTER: Hou S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4729395 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature