Research advances in mechanical properties and applications of dual network hydrogels
Open accessAbstract
Hydrogels with a three-dimensional network structure are particularly outstanding in water absorption and water retention because water exists stably in the interior, making the gel appear elastic and solid. Although traditional hydrogels have good water absorption and high water content, they have poor mechanical properties and are not strong enough to be applied in some scenarios today. The proposal of double-network hydrogels has dramatically improved the toughness and mechanical strength of hydrogels that can adapt to different environments. Based on ensuring the properties of hydrogels, they themselves will not be damaged by excessive pressure and tension. This review introduces preparation methods for double-network hydrogels and ways to improve the mechanical properties of three typical gels. In addition to improving the mechanical properties, the biocompatibility and swelling properties of hydrogels enable them to be applied in the fields of biomedicine, intelligent sensors, and ion adsorption.
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The absence of a Tan δ crossover and the minimal frequency dependence observed for ColMA-UV further confirm the establishment of a mechanically stable and highly interconnected network.
“The absence of a Tan δ crossover and the minimal frequency dependence observed for ColMA-UV further confirm the establishment of a mechanically stable and highly interconnected network [59].”
From Montmorillonite-reinforced methacrylated collagen/methacrylated silk fibroin hydrogel-based inks: rheological and physicochemical characterization for bone scaffold applications (2026) · cites this paper as [59]
Section 2.4 discusses UV cross-linking in other hydrogel formulations, and Section 2 discusses mechanical stability generally. Searches for ColMA-UV, a Tan δ crossover, and frequency dependence found no passage addressing the cited observation or its interpretation. (LLM, conf=0.74)
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Antunes, B. S. L., Pedrini, F., Komatsu, D., Asami, J., Dicko, C., & Duek, E. A. R. (2026) · International Journal of Biological Macromolecules · doi:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2026.154129
- Authors
- Ning, X., Huang, J., A, Y., Yuan, N., Chen, C., & Lin, D.
- Affiliations
- Shanghai Polytechnic University (CN)
- School of Materials and Metallurgy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
- Corresponding author
- Chen, Cheng
- Lin, Donghai
- Venue
- International Journal of Molecular Sciences
- Publisher
- MDPI AG
- Published
- 2022-12-12
- Volume
- 23
- Issue
- 24
- Pages
- 15757
- ISSN
- 1422-0067 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC9779336
- OpenAlex
- W4312127119
- Cited by
- 131
- References
- 66
- Citations by year
- 2026: 50 · 2025: 42 · 2024: 33 · 2023: 6
- FWCI
- 1.50
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- International Journal of Molecular Sciences (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Funders
- Shanghai Polytechnic University (XXKZD1601)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Medicine › Hydrogels: synthesis, properties, applications
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Mechanical Engineering › Advanced Materials and Mechanics
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Biomedical Engineering › Polymer-Based Agricultural Enhancements
- Keywords
- double-network hydrogel, hydrogel mechanical properties, toughness, hydrogel synthesis, water absorption, swelling power, biocompatibility, biomedical applications, smart sensors, ion adsorption
- MeSH terms
- Adsorption, Water, Hydrogels
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