2024 | Jingye Liang, Jishuai Xu, Jingxuan Zheng, Lijuan Zhou, Weiping Yang, Enzhao Liu, Yutian Zhu, Qiang Zhou, Yong Liu, Run Wang, and Zunfeng Liu
This study presents a bioinspired method for creating mechanically robust and recyclable hydrogel microfibers based on hydrogen-bond nanoclusters, inspired by spider silk. The method involves a continuous and scalable draw spinning process under ambient conditions to produce polyacrylamide (PAM) hydrogel microfibers with a hierarchical sheath-core structure. The microfibers are strengthened through pre-stretch and twist, resulting in a tensile strength of 525 MPa, a toughness of 385 MJ m⁻³, and a damping capacity of 99%. These properties are attributed to the reinforcement of hydrogen-bond nanoclusters within the microfiber matrix. The microfibers maintain structural and mechanical stability for several days and can be dissolved in water, enabling sustainable re-spinning into new microfibers. This work provides a new strategy for the spinning of robust and recyclable hydrogel-based fibrous materials. The hydrogel microfibers exhibit excellent mechanical properties, comparable to or surpassing those of most synthetic fibers and even spider silk. They also demonstrate high energy dissipation and damping capacity, making them suitable for applications requiring impact resistance and deformation resistance, such as lifelines, capture nets, and parachute ropes. The recyclability of the microfibers is achieved through their ability to be dissolved in water and re-spun into new fibers without significant loss of mechanical properties. The entire production and recycling process utilizes water as a green solvent, eliminating the need for additional chemicals or complex procedures. This approach provides a new strategy for environmentally friendly production of high-performance synthetic fibers.This study presents a bioinspired method for creating mechanically robust and recyclable hydrogel microfibers based on hydrogen-bond nanoclusters, inspired by spider silk. The method involves a continuous and scalable draw spinning process under ambient conditions to produce polyacrylamide (PAM) hydrogel microfibers with a hierarchical sheath-core structure. The microfibers are strengthened through pre-stretch and twist, resulting in a tensile strength of 525 MPa, a toughness of 385 MJ m⁻³, and a damping capacity of 99%. These properties are attributed to the reinforcement of hydrogen-bond nanoclusters within the microfiber matrix. The microfibers maintain structural and mechanical stability for several days and can be dissolved in water, enabling sustainable re-spinning into new microfibers. This work provides a new strategy for the spinning of robust and recyclable hydrogel-based fibrous materials. The hydrogel microfibers exhibit excellent mechanical properties, comparable to or surpassing those of most synthetic fibers and even spider silk. They also demonstrate high energy dissipation and damping capacity, making them suitable for applications requiring impact resistance and deformation resistance, such as lifelines, capture nets, and parachute ropes. The recyclability of the microfibers is achieved through their ability to be dissolved in water and re-spun into new fibers without significant loss of mechanical properties. The entire production and recycling process utilizes water as a green solvent, eliminating the need for additional chemicals or complex procedures. This approach provides a new strategy for environmentally friendly production of high-performance synthetic fibers.