Exceptionally tough and notch-insensitive magnetic hydrogels.
Most existing magnetic hydrogels are weak and brittle. The development of strong and tough magnetic hydrogels would extend their applications into uncultivated areas, such as in actuators for soft machines and guided catheters for magnetic navigation systems, which is still a big challenge. Here a facile and versatile approach to fabricating highly stretchable, exceptionally tough and notch-insensitive magnetic hydrogels, Fe(3)O(4)@Fe-alginate/polyacrylamide (PAAm), is developed, by dispersing alginate-coated Fe(3)O(4) nanoparticles into the interpenetrating polymer networks of alginate and PAAm, with hybrid physical and chemical crosslinks. A cantilever bending beam actuator as well as a proof-of-concept magnetically guided hydrogel catheter is demonstrated. The method proposed in this work can be integrated into other strong and tough magnetic hydrogels for the development of novel hydrogel nanocomposites with both desirable functionality and superior mechanical properties.
State Key Laboratory for Strength and Vibration of Mechanical Structures, International Center for Applied Mechanics and School of Aerospace, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China. chenym@mail.xjtu.edu.cn jxzhouxx@mail.xjtu.edu.cn and School of Science, State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behaviour of Materials, Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China.
Hussain
H
Haider
State Key Laboratory for Strength and Vibration of Mechanical Structures, International Center for Applied Mechanics and School of Aerospace, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China. chenym@mail.xjtu.edu.cn jxzhouxx@mail.xjtu.edu.cn.
Can Hui
CH
Yang
State Key Laboratory for Strength and Vibration of Mechanical Structures, International Center for Applied Mechanics and School of Aerospace, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China. chenym@mail.xjtu.edu.cn jxzhouxx@mail.xjtu.edu.cn and School of Science, State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behaviour of Materials, Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China.
Wen Jiang
WJ
Zheng
State Key Laboratory for Strength and Vibration of Mechanical Structures, International Center for Applied Mechanics and School of Aerospace, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China. chenym@mail.xjtu.edu.cn jxzhouxx@mail.xjtu.edu.cn and School of Science, State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behaviour of Materials, Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China.
Jian Hai
JH
Yang
State Key Laboratory for Strength and Vibration of Mechanical Structures, International Center for Applied Mechanics and School of Aerospace, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China. chenym@mail.xjtu.edu.cn jxzhouxx@mail.xjtu.edu.cn and School of Science, State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behaviour of Materials, Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China.
Mei Xiang
MX
Wang
School of Science, State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behaviour of Materials, Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China.
Sen
S
Yang
Laboratory of Nanochemistry, Department of Biophysics and Radiation Biology, Semmelweis University, Nagyváradtér 4, H-1084 Budapest, Hungary.
Miklós
M
Zrínyi
RIKEN, 2-1, Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan.
Yoshihito
Y
Osada
School of Engineering and Applied Science, Kavli Institute of Bionano Science and Technology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02318, USA.
Zhigang
Z
Suo
Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Chinese Academy of Medical Science & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, 300192, China.
Qiqing
Q
Zhang
State Key Laboratory for Strength and Vibration of Mechanical Structures, International Center for Applied Mechanics and School of Aerospace, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China. chenym@mail.xjtu.edu.cn jxzhouxx@mail.xjtu.edu.cn.
Jinxiong
J
Zhou
State Key Laboratory for Strength and Vibration of Mechanical Structures, International Center for Applied Mechanics and School of Aerospace, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China. chenym@mail.xjtu.edu.cn jxzhouxx@mail.xjtu.edu.cn and School of Science, State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behaviour of Materials, Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China.
Yong Mei
YM
Chen
D000180:Acrylic Resins; D000464:Alginates; D005290:Ferric Compounds; D020723:Glucuronic Acid; D006244:Hardness; D006603:Hexuronic Acids; D020100:Hydrogels / Q000737:chemistry*; D058185:Magnetite Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D033081:Shear Strength; D000099166:Polyacrylamides
D000180:Acrylic Resins; D000464:Alginates; D005290:Ferric Compounds; D020723:Glucuronic Acid; D006603:Hexuronic Acids; D020100:Hydrogels; D058185:Magnetite Nanoparticles; D000099166:Polyacrylamides; C000499:ferric oxide