Self-Healing Supramolecular Hydrogels Based on Reversible Physical Interactions

Abstract

Dynamic and reversible polymer networks capable of self-healing, i.e., restoring their mechanical properties after deformation and failure, are gaining increasing research interest, as there is a continuous need towards extending the lifetime and improving the safety and performance of materials particularly in biomedical applications. Hydrogels are versatile materials that may allow self-healing through a variety of covalent and non-covalent bonding strategies. The structural recovery of physical gels has long been a topic of interest in soft materials physics and various supramolecular interactions can induce this kind of recovery. This review highlights the non-covalent strategies of building self-repairing hydrogels and the characterization of their mechanical properties. Potential applications and future prospects of these materials are also discussed.

Keywords

• hydrogels
• self-healing
• supramolecular materials
• non-covalent interactions
• dynamic cross-links
• physical gels
• transient networks
• mechanical failure and recovery
• self-assembly
• host-guest chemistry