Anisotropic contraction of fiber-reinforced hydrogels

Liu, Shuangping; Stupp, Samuel I.; Olvera de la Cruz, Monica

doi:10.1039/c8sm01251b

Anisotropic contraction of fiber-reinforced hydrogels

Journal Article · 01 January 2018 · Soft Matter

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1039/c8sm01251b· OSTI ID:1566643

Liu, Shuangping ^[1]; ^[2]; ^[2]

Department of Materials Science and Engineering; Northwestern University; Evanston; USA
Department of Materials Science and Engineering; Northwestern University; Evanston; USA; Department of Chemistry

Hydrogels reinforced by fibers can undergo remarkable anisotropic contraction triggered by external stimuli, which has a broad appeal for various applications. However, little is known about how to optimize the contraction anisotropy by tuning the microstructures of fiber-reinforced hydrogels. Here, we investigate the underlying mechanisms controlling the anisotropic contraction of fiber-reinforced hydrogels. Using a simplified model incorporating the directional constraint of the fibers, we show that the contraction anisotropy can be substantially enhanced if the hydrogel is prestretched along the fiber direction. We further explicitly model fibers as periodically distributed cylindrical rods in the finite element simulations, and find that the contraction anisotropy can be maximized by varying the transverse fiber–fiber distance; this maximum anisotropy can be improved by reducing the longitudinal fiber–fiber distance and increasing the fiber length. Our study provides insights into designing novel fiber-reinforced hydrogels, suggesting possible applications in soft robotics, tissue engineering and beyond.

Research Organization:: Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRC) (United States). Center for Bio-Inspired Energy Science (CBES); Northwestern Univ., Evanston, IL (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)

DOE Contract Number:: SC0000989

OSTI ID:: 1566643

Journal Information:: Soft Matter, Vol. 14, Issue 37; ISSN 1744-683X

Publisher:: Royal Society of Chemistry

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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