Mechanically adaptive crack-resistant hydrogels based on strain-induced macroscopic phase separation and hierarchical energy dissipation
Xiangren Kong, Zhongwei Wang, Bo Gong, Li Xin Hou, Zhi Jian Wang, Rui Xiao, Zi Liang Wu, Jin Qian · 2026
Read Mechanically adaptive crack-resistant hydrogels based on strain-induced macroscopic phase separation and hierarchical energy dissipation by Xiangren Kong, Zhongwei Wang, Bo Gong, Li Xin Hou, Zhi Jian Wang, Rui Xiao, Zi Liang Wu, Jin Qian (2026) in the Tower of Babel, a free online library of public-domain works preserved in clean, searchable text. No sign-up. The full text is served as a plain-text file at a predictable URL, where text is present: https://antarctic-labs.com/tower-of-babel/PMC13402717.txt.
Description
Xiangren Kong and co-authors build a hydrogel that turns white and fights cracks when stretched, reaching stiffness and toughness that soft gels rarely combine. Their gel pairs a strong polycation with a weak polyanion in uneven amounts, forming a clear network dotted with ionic-bond-rich and hydrogen-bond-rich nanodomains. Pulled hard, it reversibly whitens while stretching past ten times its length.
Numbers underline the oddity: a modulus near 30 megapascals, tensile strength near 15 megapascals, and fracture toughness around 100 kilojoules per square meter, with cracks stalling on their own under load. X-ray scattering during stretching, plus simulations, show soft domains yielding first while stiff domains rotate and shed bonds, building a wide energy-absorbing zone ahead of any crack. The authors present uneven composition as a recipe for damage-tolerant soft materials fit for harsh mechanical work.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Xiangren Kong, Zhongwei Wang, Bo Gong, Li Xin Hou, Zhi Jian Wang, Rui Xiao, Zi Liang Wu, Jin Qian |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 87842 |
| LICENSE | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |