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Wetting‐Enabled Three‐Dimensional Interfacial Polymerization (WET‐DIP) for Bioinspired Anti‐Dehydration Hydrogels

Man Yang, Xizi Wan, Mingqian Liu, Zhao Wang, Lanxin Jia, Feilong Zhang, Shutao Wang

2023Small21 citationsDOI

Abstract

Anti-dehydration hydrogels have attracted considerable attention due to their promising applications in stretchable sensors, flexible electronics, and soft robots. However, anti-dehydration hydrogels prepared by conventional strategies inevitably depend on additional chemicals or suffer from cumbersome preparation processes. Here, inspired by the succulent Fenestraria aurantiaca a one-step wetting-enabled three-dimensional interfacial polymerization (WET-DIP) strategy for constructing organogel-sealed anti-dehydration hydrogels is developed. By virtue of the preferential wetting on the hydrophobic-oleophilic substrate surfaces, the organogel precursor solution can spread on the three-dimensional (3D) surface and encapsulate the hydrogel precursor solution, forming anti-dehydration hydrogel with 3D shape after in situ interfacial polymerization. The WET-DIP strategy is simple and ingenious, and accessible to discretionary 3D-shaped anti-dehydration hydrogels with a controllable thickness of the organogel outer layer. Strain sensors based on this anti-dehydration hydrogel also exhibit long-term stability in signal monitoring. This WET-DIP strategy shows great potentialities for constructing hydrogel-based devices with long-term stability.

Topics & Concepts

Self-healing hydrogelsDehydrationWettingMaterials sciencePolymerizationChemical engineeringNanotechnologyLayer (electronics)Polymer chemistryChemistryComposite materialPolymerBiochemistryEngineeringAdvanced Sensor and Energy Harvesting MaterialsAdvanced Materials and MechanicsHydrogels: synthesis, properties, applications