Impact-Resistant Hydrogels by Harnessing 2D Hierarchical Structures

Xiangyu Liang; Guangda Chen; Iek Man Lei; Pei Zhang; Zeyu Wang; Xingmei Chen; Mengze Lu; Jiajun Zhang; Zongbao Wang; Taolin Sun; Yang Lan; Ji Liu

doi:10.1002/adma.202207587

Impact-Resistant Hydrogels by Harnessing 2D Hierarchical Structures

Adv Mater. 2023 Jan;35(1):e2207587. doi: 10.1002/adma.202207587. Epub 2022 Nov 17.

Authors

Xiangyu Liang^{1

2

3}, Guangda Chen¹, Iek Man Lei¹, Pei Zhang¹, Zeyu Wang⁴, Xingmei Chen¹, Mengze Lu⁵, Jiajun Zhang¹, Zongbao Wang⁴, Taolin Sun⁵, Yang Lan⁶, Ji Liu^{1

7

8}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Mechanical and Energy Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
² Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, 518120, China.
³ Institute of Bast Fiber Crops and Center of Southern Economic Crops, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changsha, 410205, China.
⁴ Ningbo Key Laboratory of Specialty Polymers, Faculty of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, China.
⁵ South China Advanced Institute for Soft Matter Science and Technology, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510641, China.
⁶ Department of Chemical Engineering, University College London, London, WC1E 7JE, UK.
⁷ Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Biomimetic Robotics and Intelligent Systems, Department of Mechanical and Energy Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
⁸ Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Human-Augmentation and Rehabilitation Robotics in Universities, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China.

PMID: 36284475
DOI: 10.1002/adma.202207587

Abstract

With the strengthening capacity through harnessing multi-length-scale structural hierarchy, synthetic hydrogels hold tremendous promise as a low-cost and abundant material for applications demanding unprecedented mechanical robustness. However, integrating high impact resistance and high water content, yet superior softness, in a single hydrogel material still remains a grand challenge. Here, a simple, yet effective, strategy involving bidirectional freeze-casting and compression-annealing is reported, leading to a hierarchically structured hydrogel material. Rational engineering of the distinct 2D lamellar structures, well-defined nanocrystalline domains and robust interfacial interaction among the lamellae, synergistically contributes to a record-high ballistic energy absorption capability (i.e., 2.1 kJ m^-1 ), without sacrificing their high water content (i.e., 85 wt%) and superior softness. Together with its low-cost and extraordinary energy dissipation capacity, the hydrogel materials present a durable alternative to conventional hydrogel materials for armor-like protection circumstances.

Keywords: 2D lamellar structures; ballistic resistance; crystalline materials; hydrogels; impact resistance.

Abstract

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