A self-healing hydrogel with enhanced, thermally actuated stimuli and methods of making the same

By combining water-ethanol solvent exchange-induced supramolecular reconstruction and dynamic borate ester bond strategy, a PNIPAM/PVA hydrogel that can be stimulated to enhance and is thermally actuated was prepared, which solved the problem of the softness of hydrogel materials limiting their application and enabled high-performance applications in fields such as electronic skin and bionic robots.

CN115536868BActive Publication Date: 2026-06-16JIANGSU UNIV ZHENJIANG INTELLIGENT FLEXIBLE MECHANICAL & ELECTRONICS IND TECH RES INST
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Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Patents(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
JIANGSU UNIV ZHENJIANG INTELLIGENT FLEXIBLE MECHANICAL & ELECTRONICS IND TECH RES INST
Filing Date
2022-10-26
Publication Date
2026-06-16

AI Technical Summary

⚠Technical Problem

The overly soft texture of hydrogel materials limits their application in emerging fields such as electronic skin, bionic robots, and human-computer interfaces.

⚗Method used

By combining a unique strategy of inducing supramolecular reconstruction through water-ethanol solvent exchange, inducing hydrophilic/hydrophobic conversion through temperature change, and constructing dynamic reversible borate ester bonds, PNIPAM/PVA hydrogels were prepared using poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as the main materials, achieving stimulated enhancement and thermally actuated self-healing properties.

🎯Benefits of technology

A hydrogel material with a switchable supramolecular configuration, thermal actuation and rapid self-healing ability was prepared. Its elastic modulus can be reversibly converted between soft and hard states, stress is increased by 6 times, and self-healing ability is extremely fast. It is suitable for underwater soft robots and other fields.

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Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of preparation of intelligent sensing actuator, and particularly relates to a self-repairing hydrogel capable of being stimulated to enhance and heat actuation and a preparation method thereof. The present application combines three strategies of unique water-ethanol solvent exchange induced supramolecular reconfiguration, temperature change induced hydrophilic / hydrophobic conversion and construction of dynamic reversible borate ester bond, and develops a new type of biomimetic intelligent material. The material has excellent formability in the state of soft gel, reversible ethanol stimulation enhancement, good braking and self-repairing properties.
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