Recent advances in multi-mechanism design of crack-resistant hydrogels

Abstract

For conventional hydrogels, the phenomenon of crack generation and propagation caused by high-stress concentration is ubiquitous. However, this phenomenon is unfavorable in many applications, such as wearable electronics, tissue engineering, and tunable adhesion. Fortunately, many hydrogels that can suppress crack growth during deformation and maintain the original mechanical properties during deformation, called crack-resistant hydrogels, have been published. Herein, the state-of-the-art of crack-resistant hydrogels is comprehensively reviewed. Starting from the principle of designing a crack-resistant hydrogel, we first survey the relevant crack-resistant strategies. The latest crack-resistant hydrogels are then categorized according to their crack-resistant mechanisms (including energy dissipation at the molecular level, multiscale structure, crack pinning, crack deflection, and sliding of chain), and their crack-resistant processes are described in detail. Furthermore, we summarize the current challenges and make an outlook for crack-resistant hydrogels, which might lead to substantial progress in the future design and development of these high-performance materials.