Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
1555546 | Current Opinion in Solid State and Materials Science | 2007 | 8 Pages |
Abstract
Hydrogels, which consist of three-dimensional polymer networks and large amounts of water, have long been believed to be interesting but mechanically fragile materials limited to specific uses. Recently, important breakthroughs have been made as a result of the creation of nanocomposite hydrogels (NC gels), and most of the traditional limitations of hydrogels have been overcome. NC gels are prepared by in situ free-radical polymerization at high yield under mild conditions (near ambient temperature, without stirring), and various shapes and surface forms are readily obtained. Because of their unique organic (polymer)/inorganic (clay) network structure, high toughness and excellent optical properties and stimulus-sensitivity are simultaneously realized in NC gels. Furthermore, NC gels exhibit a number of interesting new characteristics. In this paper, the fundamental and recent developments related to NC gels are reviewed.
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Materials Science
Materials Chemistry
Authors
Kazutoshi Haraguchi,