One-pot synthesis of highly mechanical and recoverable double-network hydrogels

A method of forming a hybrid physically and chemically cross-linked double-network hydrogel with highly recoverable and mechanical properties in a single-pot synthesis comprising the steps of:

• combining the hydrogel precursor reactants including:
• a. water,
• b. a polysaccharide,
• c. an acrylate monomer,
• d. an ultraviolet initiator, and
• e. a chemical crosslinker to form a single pot mixture;
• heating the hydrogel precursor reactants to a temperature higher than the melting point of the polysaccharide and retaining this temperature until the polysaccharide is in a sol state;
• cooling the single-pot to a temperature lower than the gelation point of the polysaccharide and retaining this temperature to form a first network;
• and
• thereafter photo-initiating polymerization of the acrylate monomer via the ultraviolet initiator to form the second network, wherein the double-network hydrogel has a polysaccharide concentration of 20 mg/mL, an acrylate monomer concentration of 3.4 mol/L, a ultraviolet initiator concentration of 1 mol % of acrylate monomer, and a chemical crosslinker concentration of 0.03 mol % of acrylate monomer.