Polyetheramine (PEA): a versatile platform to tailor the properties of hydrogels via H-bonding interactions

Abstract

Hydrogels have promising applications in biomaterials and other fields. Here, to extend our previous work, we designed a novel class of PEA_-P-A-polyacrylamide (PAAm) hydrogels that contain two cooperative H-bonding interactions: PEO/amide groups and diol/carbonyl groups via a versatile platform (PEA). The strong H-bonding between PEA_-P-A and PAAm endows the PEA_-P-A-PAAm hydrogel with excellent performance (tensile strength is up to 1.15 MPa and elongation at break is up to 1277%). The reversible association and disassociation of the H-bonding impart the PEA_-P-A-PAAm hydrogels with pH response and reshaping ability. PEA_-P-A-20%-PAAm hydrogels can change the diameter from 4 cm to 2 cm, accompanied by their color change from transparent to white in a pH < 1 solution within 20 minutes. The sample of the PEA_-P-A-PAAm hydrogel also can be reshaped into a programmed shape by using the dynamic H-bonding. PEA_-P-A-PAAm hydrogels with excellent mechanical properties, fast pH response and reshaping ability could accelerate the practical applications of the hydrogels in many fields.