In Situ Preparation of Mechanically Enhanced Hydrogel via Dispersion Polymerization in Aqueous Solution

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

Hydrogels with improved mechanical properties can expand to a greater range of applications. The fabrication of conventional toughened hydrogels typically requires precise modifications, multiple components, and complex steps. Here, a straightforward "one-step" polymerization method for the in situ preparation of hydrogels in aqueous solutions, is reported. Inspired by polymerization-induced self-assembly (PISA), water-miscible monomers are copolymerized during the hydrogel fabrication; the growing blocks eventually form physical bridges thus providing a mechanism for effective energy dissipation. The rheological and mechanical properties are evaluated and the results reveal that this strategy can be an effective approach to design mechanically enhanced hydrogels for a wide range of applications.