Journal article

Conductive Tough Hydrogel for Bioapplications

M Javadi, Q Gu, S Naficy, S Farajikhah, JM Crook, GG Wallace, S Beirne, SE Moulton

Macromolecular Bioscience | WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH | Published : 2018

Abstract

Biocompatible conductive tough hydrogels represent a new class of advanced materials combining the properties of tough hydrogels and biocompatible conductors. Here, a simple method, to achieve a self-assembled tough elastomeric composite structure that is biocompatible, conductive, and with high flexibility, is reported. The hydrogel comprises polyether-based liner polyurethane (PU), poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) doped with poly(4-styrenesulfonate) (PSS), and liquid crystal graphene oxide (LCGO). The polyurethane hybrid composite (PUHC) containing the PEDOT:PSS, LCGO, and PU has a higher electrical conductivity (10×), tensile modulus (>1.6×), and yield strength (>1.56×) compared t..

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University of Melbourne Researchers

Grants

Awarded by Australian National Fabrication Facility


Funding Acknowledgements

The authors wish to acknowledge funding from the Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence Scheme (CE140100012), the use of facilities at the University of Wollongong Electron Microscopy Centre, and the Australian National Fabrication Facility (ANFF) Materials Node for the provision of materials and processing capabilities. The authors thank Dr. Patricia Hayes for her assistance with Raman spectroscopy measurements, and Mr. Tony Romeo for his invaluable assistance with SEM microscopy. The authors also thank Dr. Ali Jalili, Dr. Pawel Wagner, Ali Jairani, and Prof. Morteza Aghmesheh for their help and comments toward the paper.