High-strength, anti-fatigue, stretchable self-healing polyvinyl alcohol hydrogel based on borate bonds and hydrogen bonds

Abstract

Although self-healing hydrogels have attracted widespread attention in many fields, it remains a challenge for hydrogel simultaneously achieving toughness, self-healing, and self-healing capabilities. Thus, we introduced GO and borate ions into the PVA chain and successfully constructed a physical-chemical double-crosslinked PVA/Borax/GO hydrogel with excellent mechanical properties, self-recovery, self-healing ability at room temperature, and conductivity. Among them, the hydrogen bond and borate ion jointly stimulate the strong interaction between the PVA chain and each component, making the PVA/Borax/GO hydrogel network closer, providing a solid pressure-resistant platform with excellent anti-fatigue performance, in which dynamic PVA/Borax networks endow hydrogel with self-healing ability. The prepared PVA/Borax/GO hydrogel has high stability, elasticity and electrical conductivity, and can be suitable for the preparation of preparing sensing materials. This work provides a design strategy for the preparation of hydrogels with high mechanical properties, fatigue resistance and good self-healing capabilities.

Graphical abstract

Keywords:

• Hydrogel
• self-healing
• fatigue resistance
• toughness
• conductivity

Additional information

Funding

Financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41576098, 81773483), the Science and Technology Department of Zhejiang Province of China (2016C33176, LGF18B070002), Natural Science Foundation of Ningbo (2017A610231, 2017A610228) and State Key Laboratory for Quality and Safety of Agro-products (ZS20190101) are gratefully acknowledged. This research was also sponsored by K.C. Wong Magna Fund in Ningbo University.