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Versatile nanocomposite hydrogel induced by Au-Se interaction showing mechanically tough and multi-responsive self-healing properties

  • Composites & nanocomposites
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Abstract

Researchers are showing a great deal of interest in hydrogels due to the presence of high-water content, self-healing variants. Despite this, research into the development of smart hydrogels that have the combination of toughness, self-healing, and responsiveness to external stimuli is still lacking. Here, tough, and intelligent nanocomposite (NC) hydrogels have been developed by utilizing modified nano-crosslinker by means of gold-selenium (Au-Se) coordination interaction. The NC hydrogels demonstrate remarkable elasticity and strength, even when exposed to notches. With the optimal formulation, the nanocomposite hydrogel can achieve a maximum elongation of 1970%, a maximum fracture stress of 2.48 MPa, and a toughness of up to 9.95 MJ/m3, thanks to the dynamic gold crosslinks with improved branching. The presence of this structural attributes facilitates efficient energy dissipation within the hydrogel system. Combining Au-Se interaction as a healing element and the remarkable optothermal effect of nanoparticles, NC hydrogels can be quickly self-healed in near-infrared light exposure of 2 min, achieving a self-healing efficiency of 91%. Additionally, the hydrogels demonstrate repair potential when exposed to microwave irradiation, acid solution, and ultrasound stimulus. Moreover, a multi-responsive hydrogel composed of photothermal gold nanostructures can serve as a light-controlled drug carrier, which has smart drug release ability under external light stimulation. The advantageous properties of hydrogel make it a great option for biomedical and engineering fields.

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Data availability

The datasets used or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grants 21802001), Anhui Provincial Education Department Natural Science Excellent Young Scientists Foundation (Grant 2023AH030068), Foundation of Anhui Province key Laboratory of Research &Development of Chinese Medicine (Grant AKLPDCM202309).

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Author notes

  1. Yang Liu and Lu Jiang have contributed equally.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The College of Pharmacy, Institute of Pharmaceutics Anhui Academy of Chinese Medicine, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, 230012, People’s Republic of China

    Yang Liu, Lu Jiang, Ruonan Jiang & Huanhuan Liu

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  1. Yang Liu
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Contributions

Yang Liu: Conceptualization, Methodology, Investigation. Lu Jiang: Methodology, Investigation, Data curation. Ruonan Jiang: Investigation, Data curation. Huanhuan Liu: Conceptualization, Methodology, Writing-Reviewing & Editing, Supervision.

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Correspondence to Huanhuan Liu.

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Liu, Y., Jiang, L., Jiang, R. et al. Versatile nanocomposite hydrogel induced by Au-Se interaction showing mechanically tough and multi-responsive self-healing properties. J Mater Sci 59, 8287–8297 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-024-09708-z

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