Ultrastrong eutectogels engineered via integrated mechanical training in molecular and structural engineering

Chenggong Xu, Ao Xie, Haiyuan Hu, Zhengde Wang, Yange Feng (), Daoai Wang () and Weimin Liu ()
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Chenggong Xu: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Ao Xie: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Haiyuan Hu: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Zhengde Wang: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Yange Feng: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Daoai Wang: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Weimin Liu: Chinese Academy of Sciences

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-13

Abstract: Abstract Ultrastrong gels possess generally ultrahigh modulus and strength yet exhibit limited stretchability owing to hardening and embrittlement accompanied by reinforcement. This dilemma is overcome here by using hyperhysteresis-mediated mechanical training that hyperhysteresis allows structural retardation to prevent the structural recovery of network after training, resulting in simply single pre-stretching training. This training strategy introduces deep eutectic solvent into polyvinyl alcohol hydrogels to achieve hyperhysteresis via hydrogen bonding nanocrystals on molecular engineering, performs single pre-stretching training to produce hierarchical nanofibrils on structural engineering, and fabricates chemically cross-linked second network to enable stretchability. The resultant eutectogels display exceptional mechanical performances with enormous fracture strength (85.2 MPa), Young’s modulus (98 MPa) and work of rupture (130.6 MJ m−3), which compare favorably to those of previous gels. The presented strategy is generalizable to other solvents and polymer for engineering ultrastrong organogels, and further inspires advanced fabrication technologies for force-induced self-reinforcement materials.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-57800-y

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