title: Phase-Separation-Induced Anomalous Stiffening, Toughening, and Self-Healing of Polyacrylamide Gels.
abstract: Novel, tough, strong, and self-healable poly-acrylamide (PAAm) gels are fabricated by inducing an appropriate phase-separation structure using a poor solvent. The phase separation induces a gel-glass-like transition of the PAAm gels, providing the gels an anomalously high modulus (211 MPa), fracture stress (7.13 MPa), and fracture energy (4.16 × 10(4) J m(-2)), while keeping a high solvent content (≈60 vol%).
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Soft and Wet Matter, Graduate School of Life Science, Hokkaido University, Kita-10, Nishi-8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-0810, Japan.
authors.forename: Koshiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Soft and Wet Matter, Faculty of Advanced Life Science, Hokkaido University, Kita-10, Nishi-8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-0810, Japan.
authors.forename: Tasuku
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakajima
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Soft and Wet Matter, Graduate School of Life Science, Hokkaido University, Kita-10, Nishi-8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-0810, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshiyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hisamatsu
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Soft and Wet Matter, Faculty of Advanced Life Science, Hokkaido University, Kita-10, Nishi-8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-0810, Japan.
authors.forename: Takayuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nonoyama
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Soft and Wet Matter, Faculty of Advanced Life Science, Hokkaido University, Kita-10, Nishi-8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-0810, Japan.
authors.forename: Takayuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kurokawa
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Soft and Wet Matter, Faculty of Advanced Life Science, Hokkaido University, Kita-10, Nishi-8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-0810, Japan.
authors.forename: Jian Ping
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Gong
keywords: phase separation; polymer gels; sacrificial bonds; self-healing; toughening