Dynamic Bonds and Mechanical Properties of Tough Hydrogels: Medical Device and Gel Electrolyte Applications

坚韧水凝胶的动态键和机械性能：医疗器械和凝胶电解质应用

• 批准号: RGPIN-2019-04952
• 负责人: Chung, HyunJoong
• 金额: $ 2.04万
• 依托单位: University of Alberta
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2019
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2019-01-01 至 2020-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=682279
• 关键词: Dynamic; Bonds; Mechanical; Properties; Tough

BACKGROUND. Dynamic bonds, physical or chemical bonds that can be released by external stimuli in a reversible way, are the most fundamental building block for smart soft materials. While individual dynamic bond may be considered as weak, tough hydrogels (fracture energies of ~10,000 J/m2) has been realized by clustering hydrogen bonds or ionic pairs, which also enables reversible adhesion and self-healing. Despite of the technological importance and empirical successes, current understanding on the correlation between these dynamic bond clusters and the mechanical properties of tough hydrogels at its infancy. This problem is partly because of limited capability of existing experimental tools.******SOLUTION. Overall objective of PROGRAM 1 is to establish microchannel cantilever sensor, whose vibration being monitored by laser Doppler vibrometer, as a standard tool for studying the dynamic bonds in (hydro)gels. Established for ultrasensitive detection in biosensing, the two additional merits of the method are picoliter sample size and the variety of vibration modes. The short-term objective (3 years) is to validate the microchannel cantilever technology as a tool for quantitative microrheology. In mid- to long-term plan (5 years and beyond), collaborations with polymer chemists, density functional theory experts, and mechanics theoretician will make quantitative correlations between the characteristics of dynamic bonds (such as individual/clustered bond strength and association/dissociation kinetics) and dynamic mechanical properties (time-resolved evolution of complex moduli). ******APPPLICATION. With a purpose to complement my current research programs on biomedical devices and battery gel electrolytes, PROGRAM 2 is on molecular design of sticky hydrogels with tunable adhesion. The short- to mid-term objective (5 years) is to fabricate hemorrhage suppressing gel pad that can apply quickly and then release on demand. Long-term objective (beyond 5 years) is to integrate wound-dressing or implantable bioelectronics on the sticky hydrogel platform for advanced healthcare devices, which will be realized by converging my whole research activities.******IMPACT. Fundamental understanding on dynamic bonds and its impact to mechanical properties is tremendous across all disciplines of soft materials. Molecular design of sticky and tough hydrogels can be translated to traditional technologies such as rubbers, adhesives, and coatings, as well as to emerging technological areas of biomedical devices, drug delivery, and soft robotics. The proposed DG complements my entire research program to become a self-consistent unity with strong scientific foundation. HQPs trained in my unique and highly interdisciplinary research program will have qualities required for engineers in future society, where convergence between disciplines is the key. Scientific/technological discovery and trained HQPs from the proposed DG will evolve academia and industry in Canada and in the world.

背景。动态键，即可以通过外部刺激以可逆方式释放的物理或化学键，是智能软材料最基本的组成部分。虽然单个动态键可能被认为是弱的，但通过聚集氢键或离子对实现了坚韧的水凝胶（断裂能约为 10,000 J/m2），这也实现了可逆粘附和自修复。尽管具有技术重要性和经验上的成功，但目前对这些动态键簇与坚韧水凝胶机械性能之间相关性的理解还处于起步阶段。这个问题的部分原因是现有实验工具的能力有限。******解决方案。项目 1 的总体目标是建立微通道悬臂传感器，其振动由激光多普勒测振仪监测，作为研究（水）凝胶中动态键的标准工具。该方法专为生物传感中的超灵敏检测而建立，其另外两个优点是皮升样本大小和振动模式的多样性。短期目标（3 年）是验证微通道悬臂技术作为定量微流变学工具的作用。在中长期计划（5年及以后）中，与高分子化学家、密度泛函理论专家和力学理论家合作，将动态键的特征（如个体/团簇键强度和缔合/解离）之间建立定量关联动力学）和动态机械性能（复杂模量的时间分辨演化）。 ******申请。为了补充我目前在生物医学设备和电池凝胶电解质方面的研究项目，项目 2 是关于具有可调粘附力的粘性水凝胶的分子设计。 短期至中期目标（5 年）是制造可快速涂抹并按需释放的止血凝胶垫。长期目标（超过 5 年）是将伤口敷料或植入式生物电子学集成到先进医疗设备的粘性水凝胶平台上，这将通过整合我的整个研究活动来实现。******影响。对动态键及其对机械性能的影响的基本了解在软材料的所有学科中都具有巨大的意义。粘性和坚韧水凝胶的分子设计可以转化为橡胶、粘合剂和涂料等传统技术，以及生物医学设备、药物输送和软机器人等新兴技术领域。拟议的总干事补充了我的整个研究计划，使其成为一个具有坚实科学基础的自洽统一体。在我独特且高度跨学科的研究项目中接受培训的高级工程师将具备未来社会工程师所需的素质，其中学科之间的融合是关键。拟议的总干事的科学/技术发现和训练有素的总部将推动加拿大和世界学术界和工业界的发展。