A hydrogel–fabric composite that can support a load almost three times greater than the fabric alone has been made by scientists in Japan and the US.
For many applications, an ongoing challenge is to develop materials with seemingly contradictory properties. For example, the biomedical field wants materials that are tough, yet soft, wet, flexible and biocompatible – quite a tall order. Many researchers have spotted the potential of hydrogels, which are known for being soft and biocompatible, but limited by their lack of strength.
Interested? The full story can be read in Chemistry World.
The original article can be read below:
Extremely tough composites from fabric reinforced polyampholyte hydrogels
Alfred J. Crosby and Jian Ping Gong et al.
Mater. Horiz., 2015, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C5MH00127G
