Physical hydrogels constructed on a macro-cross-linking cationic polysaccharide with tunable, excellent mechanical performance

Abstract

Cationic chitosan was exploited originally as a macro-cross-linker to prepare hydrogels with superb extensibility, perfect elasticity, high toughness and fatigue-resistance by one-step free-radical polymerization. The as-developed approach can be applied to a broad range of hydrophilic monomers and unsaturated Brønsted–Lowry acids, leading to hydrogels with tunable performance.