A novel method for hydrogel nanostructuring

•A new method for hydrogel nanostructuring is presented.•Blockcopolymer micelles were immobilized to the network via photochemical crosslinking.•Hydrogels are characterized using SAXS, cryo-TEM, mechanical and weight gain experiments.•Significant impact on the hydrogel’s elastic modulus and weight gain ability is observed.

Nanostructured hydrogels tailor-made for specific applications are new grounds for the creation of novel soft materials. The current research presents a new method for hydrogel nanostructuring involving the incorporation of Pluronic® F127 micelles mixed with acrylated blockcopolymer molecules, which enable the attachment of these micelles to the hydrogel matrix through their endgroups. This design impacts the hydrogel nanostructure as well as its swelling and mechanical properties. Small Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS) and Cryogenic Transmission Electron Microscopy (cryo-TEM) revealed that photochemical crosslinking of the hydrogel caused immobilization of the nanostructured micelles. Mechanical and weight gain experiments demonstrated a significant impact of these nanostructures on the hydrogel’s elastic modulus as well as the transient and equilibrium weight gain ability of the material.

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