A Hetero-network Hydrogel With Self-assembled Nanofibers as Multiple-crosslinkers and Its Liquid-crystal-driven Healing Properties

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Abstract Hetero-network hydrogels composed of hydrophilic polymers with terminal alkyl chains and nanofibrous self-assemblies were successfully fabricated. The gel formation was not observed in both cases of the self-assemblies in aqueous solution and hydrophilic polymer in aqueous solution. Furthermore the gel-to-liquid crystalline phase transition temperatures of nanofibrous self-assemblies were lowered by addition of hydrophilic polymers with terminal alkyl chains. From these observations, it was considered that the alkyl chains at polymer termini intercalated into the bilayer membrane-based nanofibrous self-assemblies to form cross-linking points. As far as we know, the hybrid hydrogel introduced in this communication is the first example of a hetero-network structure composed of supramolecular assemblies. When the hetero-network hydrogel was crushed by mechanical shearing, these hydrogels recovered by heating at temperatures above their gel-to-liquid crystalline transition temperatures.

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