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Li X, Lv D, Ai L, Wang X, Xu X, Qiang M, Huang G, Yao X. Superstrong Ionogel Enabled by Coacervation-Induced Nanofibril Assembly for Sustainable Moisture Energy Harvesting. ACS NANO 2024; 18:12970-12980. [PMID: 38725336 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.4c01179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Ionogels have grabbed significant interest in various applications, from sensors and actuators to wearable electronics and energy storage devices. However, current ionogels suffer from low strength and poor ionic conductivity, limiting their performance in practical applications. Here, inspired by the mechanical reinforcement of natural biomacromolecules through noncovalent aggregates, a strategy is proposed to construct nanofibril-based ionogels through complex coacervation-induced assembly. Cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) can bundle together with poly(ionic liquid) (PIL) to form a superstrong nanofibrous network, in which the ionic liquid (IL) can be retained to form ionogels with high liquid inclusion and ionic conductivity. The strength of the CNF-PIL-IL ionogels can be tuned by the IL content over a wide range of up to 78 MPa. The optical transparency, high strength, and hygroscopicity enabled them to be promising candidates in moist-electricity generation and applications such as energy harvesting windows and wearable power generators. In addition, the ionogels are degradable and the ionogel-based generators can be recycled through dehydration. Our strategy suggests perspectives for the fabrication of high-strength and multifunctional ionogels for sustainable applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Li
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR 999077, P. R. China
| | - Dong Lv
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR 999077, P. R. China
| | - Liqing Ai
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR 999077, P. R. China
| | - Xuejiao Wang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR 999077, P. R. China
| | - Xiubin Xu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR 999077, P. R. China
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, P. R. China
| | - Mengyi Qiang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR 999077, P. R. China
| | - Gongsheng Huang
- Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR 999077, P. R. China
| | - Xi Yao
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR 999077, P. R. China
- Shenzhen Research Institute of City University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen 518057, P. R. China
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Du R, Fielding LA. Preparation of polymer nanoparticle-based complex coacervate hydrogels using polymerisation-induced self-assembly derived nanogels. SOFT MATTER 2023; 19:2074-2081. [PMID: 36857682 DOI: 10.1039/d2sm01534j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
This paper reports a generic method to prepare polymer nanoparticle-based complex coacervate (PNCC) hydrogels by employing rationally designed nanogels synthesised by reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT)-mediated polymerisation-induced self-assembly (PISA). Specifically, a poly(potassium 3-sulfopropyl methacrylate) (PKSPMA) macromolecular chain-transfer agent (macro-CTA) was synthesised via RAFT solution polymerisation followed by chain-extension with a statistical copolymer of benzyl methacrylate (BzMA) and methacrylic acid (MAA) at pH 2. Thus, pH-responsive nanoparticles (NPs) comprising a hydrophobic polyacid core-forming block and a sulfonate-functional stabiliser block were formed. With the introduction of methacrylic acid into the core of the NPs, they become swollen with increasing pH, as judged by dynamic light scattering (DLS), indicating nanogel-type behaviour. PNCC hydrogels were prepared by simply mixing the PISA-derived nanogels and cationic branched polyethyleneimine (bPEI) at 20% w/w. In the absence of MAA in the core of the NPs, gel formation was not observed. The mass ratio between the nanogels and bPEI affected resulting hydrogel strength and a mixture of bPEI and PKSPMA68-P(BzMA0.6-stat-MAA0.4)300 NPs with a mass ratio of 0.14 at pH ∼7 resulted in a hydrogel with a storage modulus of approximately 2000 Pa, as determined by oscillatory rheology. This PNCC hydrogel was shear-thinning and injectable, with recovery of gel strength occurring rapidly after the removal of shear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruiling Du
- Department of Materials, School of Natural Sciences, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK.
- Henry Royce Institute, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | - Lee A Fielding
- Department of Materials, School of Natural Sciences, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK.
- Henry Royce Institute, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
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