Engineers have created a hydrogel that stretches 100 times
Engineers have created a hydrogel that, thanks to a change in structure, can stretch 100 times its original size, and then quickly recover to its previous state. This was ensured by the presence in the structure of the hydrogel of polymer beads folded into the form of beads connected by carbon atoms, which scientists called a "pearl necklace". Such polymer beads unfold when stretched, and then twist again, reducing the size of the material. The invention was published in the journal Science.
Where does superelastic hydrogel fit in?
Experiments by scientists have shown that a 30-centimeter strip of hydrogel can stretch to a length of five meters, and then return to its original size in a few seconds. In addition, the material showed some degree of self-healing. For example, when the material was cut in half and then folded together for 1 minute, it could still be stretched 200 percent, and after 5 minutes of "healing" - 600 percent. And it retained its super-elasticity even after a month of storage at room conditions, without drying out. And a ball inflated from hydrogel with a wall thickness of 50 micrometers could withstand the weight of a 50-kilogram person. This makes the material successful in soft electronics and robotics.
To demonstrate the practical utility of the new material, scientists created inflatable robotic grippers from it. They could grab fragile objects like a strawberry with equal success, as well as a model of Saturn a hundred times its size. At the same time, they could withstand pressure and even needle punctures if given a second to heal.
Hydrogels are also created to extract water from the air. A newly created material has shown that it can absorb 1.79 grams of water for every gram of its own weight, even at low humidity.
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