High-water-content mouldable hydrogels by mixing clay and a dendritic molecular binder

Qigang Wang, Justin L. Mynar (), Masaru Yoshida, Eunji Lee, Myongsoo Lee, Kou Okuro, Kazushi Kinbara and Takuzo Aida ()
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Qigang Wang: School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
Justin L. Mynar: School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
Masaru Yoshida: Nanotechnology Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8565, Japan
Eunji Lee: Seoul National University, 599 Kwanak-ro, Seoul 151-747, Korea
Myongsoo Lee: Seoul National University, 599 Kwanak-ro, Seoul 151-747, Korea
Kou Okuro: School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
Kazushi Kinbara: School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
Takuzo Aida: School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan

Nature, 2010, vol. 463, issue 7279, 339-343

Abstract: Solid progress for hydrogels Hydrogels are mouldable polymeric materials made mostly of water, used for example as cell tissue cultures and in prosthetics. Hydrogels held together by non-covalent interactions usually have poor mechanical properties, whereas the rather stronger covalently bonded hydrogels cannot self-heal if cut and tend to be brittle. The idea that water-based hydrogels might be developed as environmentally friendly substitutes for conventional petroleum-based plastics in some applications, bringing novel properties with them, comes a little closer with the development of a supramolecular (non-covalent) hydrogel that is a solid thanks to the presence of small quantities of non-water ligands — 3% clay and tiny amounts of an organic binder. This new gel is capable of self-healing, is exceptionally resilient and can be moulded into free-standing shapes that can also be fused together to form more complex architectures.

Date: 2010
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DOI: 10.1038/nature08693

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