Solvent-aided phase separation in hydrogel towards significantly enhanced mechanoresponsive strength

Journal Tittle: Acta Mechanica Sinica

Article Tittle: Solvent-aided phase separation in hydrogel towards significantly enhanced mechanoresponsive strength

Author: Haibao Lu, Ziyu Xing, Mingji Chen, Kai Yu, Yong Qing Fu

Novelty/impact/significance

1.      A thermodynamic model is firstly formulated to describe solvent-aided phase and microphase separations in the hydrogels.

2.      Flory-Huggins theory and interfacial energy equation have been applied to model the thermodynamics of phase separations.

3.      The thermodynamic methodology of phase separations has a great potential to explore the working mechanisms in mechanoresponsive hydrogels.

Scientific question

A thermodynamic model is firstly formulated to describe solvent-aided phase and microphase separations in the hydrogels, which present significantly improved mechanoresponsive strengths.

Key of how

An intricately detailed phase map has finally been formulated to explore the working principle. The thermodynamic methodology of phase separations, combined with the constitutive stress-strain relationships, has a great potential to explore the working mechanisms in mechanoresponsive hydrogels.

Major points

1. Mapping phase transitions of hydrogel in good and poor solvent.

2. Modelling and experimental verification.

3. Phase separation of hydrogel in poor solvent

4. Microphase separation of hydrogel in a good solvent.

Funding of the work

1. National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) under Grant No. 11725208.

2. Newton Mobility Grant (IE161019) through Royal Society and NFSC.

Please go to the website to read this article: http://ams.cstam.org.cn/EN/abstract/abstract157399.shtml