Multi-crosslinked flexible nanocomposite hydrogel fibers with excellent strength and knittability

Abstract

Hydrogel fibers with excellent mechanical properties are requested for biomedical applications, especially for flexible and wearable devices. However, it remains a challenge to fabricate hydrogel fibers with both enough strength and high water content. Herein, we prepare cellulose nanocrystal/polyvinyl alcohol nanocomposite hydrogels by rapid covalent crosslinking and the subsequent strong hydrogen bonding interaction derived from tannic acid. The multi-crosslinked skeletal structure endows the hydrogels with excellent tensile strengths as well as high water content, compared to the polyvinyl alcohol-glycidylmethacrylate hydrogels. Notably, P10C5T15 hydrogel can lift loads to 4.375 kg, which is approximately 2353 times its weight. Subsequently, the flexible and mechanically stable hydrogel fibers are fabricated with a tensile strength of 7.3 MPa and a breaking elongation of 123.8 %. Furthermore, the fabricated hydrogel fibers can be easily knitted into various complex geometries or integral textiles, suggesting their great potential for woven smart devices. Show more