University Research
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Academic department
School of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering
Description
Zwitterionic hydrogels, although highly biocompatible, are widely regarded as mechanically fragile, with typical tensile strengths below 0.1 MPa, which restricts their use in load-bearing applications. Here, we address this limitation by integrating a polyzwitterionic network with a poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) network through high-speed pregelation agitation that enhances chain entanglement and induces flow orientation. By exploiting the salt-driven conformational transition of zwitterionic chains, a controlled salting-out step generates uniformly dispersed nanoscale microdomains that act as reversible energy-dissipating units. At the same time, balanced hydrogen bonding between the two networks moderates PVA crystallinity, limiting embrittlement while preserving elasticity. The resulting double-network hydrogel shows an elongation of 890% and a toughness of 18.75 MJ m–3, representing a high combination of stiffness and toughness among zwitterionic–PVA hydrogels reported so far. Beyond materials optimization, this study demonstrates how molecular-scale chain hydration and collapse govern macroscopic mechanical reinforcement. These findings suggest that zwitterionic components can function as effective toughening motifs rather than mechanical liabilities and provide a cross-scale design principle for adaptive, high-strength hydrogels.
Publisher name
ACS Publications
Grant Information
N/A
Data Management
N/A
Document Type
Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) Link
https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.macromol.5c03359
Publication Date
2-26-2026
Publication Title
Macromolecules
Volume
59
Issue
10
First Page
5771
Last Page
5783
Recommended Citation
Zhang, Louis D.; Yang, Jintao; and Zheng, Si Yu, "Turning Zwitterions into Toughening Agents: Salt-Activated Microdomains in Poly(vinyl alcohol) Double-Network Hydrogels" (2026). University Research. 41.
https://ideaexchange.uakron.edu/university_research/41
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.