2024 | Yuhang Ye, Zhangmin Wan, P.D.S.H. Gunawardane, Qi Hua, Siheng Wang, Jiaying Zhu, Mu Chiao, Scott Rennecker, Orlando J. Rojas, and Feng Jiang
This study presents a novel approach to enhance the mechanical performance and environmental resilience of polyacrylamide (PAM) hydrogels through a sugaring-out strategy using glucose. The addition of glucose promotes intermolecular interactions and hydrogen bonding within PAM chains, leading to improved toughness and environmental stability. Glucose also converts free water into a bound state, enhancing the hydrogel's resistance to extreme conditions such as freezing, dehydration, and exposure to poor solvents. The resulting PAM-G hydrogels demonstrate exceptional mechanical properties, with a 3.5-fold increase in toughness compared to pure PAM hydrogels. These hydrogels are also effective opto-mechanical sensors, exhibiting tunable interference colors that enable strain sensing. Furthermore, PAM-G hydrogels show outstanding environmental resilience, maintaining high conductivity and mechanical integrity under various conditions, including freezing and dehydration. The hydrogels are also resistant to poor solvents, with PAM-G (40 wt%) hydrogels showing superior performance compared to conventional PAM hydrogels. The study demonstrates the potential of PAM-G hydrogels as multifunctional sensors for soft robotics, capable of detecting movement, force, and curvature. The sugaring-out strategy is a green and safe method for improving hydrogel performance, offering a promising approach for biomedical and soft electronic applications.This study presents a novel approach to enhance the mechanical performance and environmental resilience of polyacrylamide (PAM) hydrogels through a sugaring-out strategy using glucose. The addition of glucose promotes intermolecular interactions and hydrogen bonding within PAM chains, leading to improved toughness and environmental stability. Glucose also converts free water into a bound state, enhancing the hydrogel's resistance to extreme conditions such as freezing, dehydration, and exposure to poor solvents. The resulting PAM-G hydrogels demonstrate exceptional mechanical properties, with a 3.5-fold increase in toughness compared to pure PAM hydrogels. These hydrogels are also effective opto-mechanical sensors, exhibiting tunable interference colors that enable strain sensing. Furthermore, PAM-G hydrogels show outstanding environmental resilience, maintaining high conductivity and mechanical integrity under various conditions, including freezing and dehydration. The hydrogels are also resistant to poor solvents, with PAM-G (40 wt%) hydrogels showing superior performance compared to conventional PAM hydrogels. The study demonstrates the potential of PAM-G hydrogels as multifunctional sensors for soft robotics, capable of detecting movement, force, and curvature. The sugaring-out strategy is a green and safe method for improving hydrogel performance, offering a promising approach for biomedical and soft electronic applications.