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Graphene oxide and hyperbranched polymer-toughened hydrogels with improved absorption properties and durability

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Abstract

Hyperbranched polymers or/and graphene oxide nanosheets were used to synthesize poly(acrylic acid)-based hybrid hydrogels with high water absorption ability, excellent mechanical properties, and environmental remediation abilities through a novel one-step, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly method. The combination of hyperbranched polymers and graphene oxide nanosheets had synergistic effects on the final hybrid hydrogel, especially on the mechanical behaviors of the hydrogels, with Young’s modulus, tensile strength at break and elongation at break increasing by 69, 308, and 848 %, respectively, while the other properties remained similar to those of pure poly(acrylic acid). The proposed enhancement mechanism is also discussed.

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Acknowledgements

Y Tang is grateful for the support of the Australian Research Council (ARC) with a Discovery Early Career Research Award (DECRA) Grant (DE120102784) for the research work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Computer Science, Engineering and Mathematics, Centre for NanoScale Science & Technology and Centre for Maritime Engineering, Control and Imaging, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, 5042, Australia

    Yang Yu, Leandro Carvalho Xavier De Andrade & Youhong Tang

  2. School of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510840, Guangdong, China

    Liming Fang

  3. School of Engineering, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, 5095, Australia

    Jun Ma

  4. Department of Energy Conversion and Storage, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark

    Wenjing Zhang

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  1. Yang Yu
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  2. Leandro Carvalho Xavier De Andrade
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  4. Jun Ma
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Correspondence to Youhong Tang.

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Yu, Y., De Andrade, L.C.X., Fang, L. et al. Graphene oxide and hyperbranched polymer-toughened hydrogels with improved absorption properties and durability. J Mater Sci 50, 3457–3466 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-015-8905-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-015-8905-4

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