High clay content nanocomposite hydrogels with surprising mechanical strength and interesting deswelling kinetics

A series of high hectorite content nanocomposite Poly (N-isopropylacrylamide), (PNIPAAm), hydrogels have been successfully synthesized by choosing a special kind of hectorite (Laponite XLS) modified by tetrasodium pyrophosphate. It was found that these hydrogels show surprising mechanical properties (i.e. tensile strength: 1 MPa, elongation at break: 1400%) and complicated deswelling behavior, which are due to the high clay content of the hydrogels and ionic dispersant contained in Laponite XLS, respectively.