POS4-0432
Tunable First Network Design of Double Network Hydrogels Using Polyether-Based ABA Triblock Copolymer
Topic
S4. Colloids, Interfaces, and Molecular Assemblies for Functional Soft Materials
When and Where
Sep 29, 2026
08:30 - 09:30
Room 301 (Grand Ballroom)
Session Chairs
Hae Jung SON
Boseok KANG
Presenter(s)
Byungwoo Yoo (Yonsei University)
Co-Author(s)
Abstract
Double network (DN) hydrogels consist of a rigid and brittle first network and a soft, stretchable second network, where sacrificial fracture of the first network dissipates mechanical energy while the second network maintains the overall gel integrity. While this sacrificial mechanism is essential for achieving high toughness, the structure of the first network plays a critical role in determining the mechanical response before macroscopic yielding. In particular, the spatial distribution of crosslinking domains and network strands governs local stress concentration, chain stretching, and early-stage bond rupture, thereby influencing pre-yield hysteresis, energy dissipation, and the onset of yielding. In this study, we developed polyether-based thermoresponsive ABA triblock copolymers as a molecular platform for constructing DN hydrogels with controlled first-network organization. The hydrophobic A blocks were designed to contain both thermoresponsive segments and crosslinkable double-bond functionalities, enabling temperature-dependent self-assembly followed by chemical fixation via thiol–ene crosslinking. Gel turbidity was used to assess the temperature-dependent network formation and structural uniformity of the self-assembled system. To increase the swelling and brittleness of the first network, a molecular stent strategy was introduced, followed by the incorporation of a polyacrylamide second network. The resulting DN hydrogel exhibited high stretchability up to approximately 2500%, demonstrating the successful construction of a stretchable DN hydrogel based on a polyether ABA triblock copolymer. This platform is expected to provide a useful basis for investigating how first-network organization via ABA triblock self-assembly affects pre-yield deformation, hysteresis, and yielding behavior.
