Bioinspired structural hydrogels with highly ordered hierarchical orientations by flow-induced alignment of nanofibrils

Shuihong Zhu, Sen Wang, Yifan Huang, Qiyun Tang, Tianqi Fu, Riyan Su, Chaoyu Fan, Shuang Xia, Pooi See Lee () and Youhui Lin ()
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Shuihong Zhu: Xiamen University
Sen Wang: Xiamen University
Yifan Huang: Southeast University
Qiyun Tang: Southeast University
Tianqi Fu: Xiamen University
Riyan Su: Shandong Huankeyuan Environmental Testing Co., Ltd
Chaoyu Fan: Xiamen University
Shuang Xia: Xiamen University
Pooi See Lee: Nanyang Technological University
Youhui Lin: Xiamen University

Nature Communications, 2024, vol. 15, issue 1, 1-13

Abstract: Abstract Natural structural materials often possess unique combinations of strength and toughness resulting from their complex hierarchical assembly across multiple length scales. However, engineering such well-ordered structures in synthetic materials via a universal and scalable manner still poses a grand challenge. Herein, a simple yet versatile approach is proposed to design hierarchically structured hydrogels by flow-induced alignment of nanofibrils, without high time/energy consumption or cumbersome postprocessing. Highly aligned fibrous configuration and structural densification are successfully achieved in anisotropic hydrogels under ambient conditions, resulting in desired mechanical properties and damage-tolerant architectures, for example, strength of 14 ± 1 MPa, toughness of 154 ± 13 MJ m−3, and fracture energy of 153 ± 8 kJ m−2. Moreover, a hydrogel mesoporous framework can deliver ultra-fast and unidirectional water transport (maximum speed at 65.75 mm s−1), highlighting its potential for water purification. This scalable fabrication explores a promising strategy for developing bioinspired structural hydrogels, facilitating their practical applications in biomedical and engineering fields.

Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44481-8

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