Robust and Highly Stretchable Chitosan Nanofiber/Alumina-Coated Silica/Carboxylated Poly (Vinyl Alcohol)/Borax Composite Hydrogels Constructed by Multiple Crosslinking

Abstract

We investigated the mechanical and structural properties of composite hydrogels composed of chitosan nanofiber (ChsNF), positively charged alumina-coated silica (ac-SiO2) nanoparticles, carboxylated poly (vinyl alcohol) (cPVA), and borax. ChsNF/cPVA/borax hydrogels without ac-SiO2 exhibited high Young’s modulus but poor elongation, whereas cPVA/ac-SiO2/borax hydrogels without ChsNF had moderate Young’s modulus but high elongation. ChsNF/ac-SiO2/cPVA/borax hydrogels using both ChsNF and ac-SiO2 as reinforcement agents exhibited high extensibility (930%) and high Young′s modulus beyond 1 MPa at a high ac-SiO2 concentration. The network was formed by multiple crosslinking such as the complexation between borate and cPVA, the ionic complexation between ac-SiO2 and cPVA, and the hydrogen bond between ChsNF and cPVA. Structural analysis by synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering revealed that the nanostructural inhomogeneity in ChsNF/ac-SiO2/cPVA/borax hydrogel was suppressed compared to those of the ChsNF/cPVA/borax and cPVA/ac-SiO2/borax hydrogels.