IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v16y2025i1d10.1038_s41467-025-57800-y.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Ultrastrong eutectogels engineered via integrated mechanical training in molecular and structural engineering

Author

Listed:
  • Chenggong Xu

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Ao Xie

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Haiyuan Hu

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Zhengde Wang

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Yange Feng

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Daoai Wang

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Shandong Laboratory of Yantai Advanced Materials and Green Manufacturing)

  • Weimin Liu

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Shandong Laboratory of Yantai Advanced Materials and Green Manufacturing)

Abstract

Ultrastrong gels possess generally ultrahigh modulus and strength yet exhibit limited stretchability owing to hardening and embrittlement accompanied by reinforcement. This dilemma is overcome here by using hyperhysteresis-mediated mechanical training that hyperhysteresis allows structural retardation to prevent the structural recovery of network after training, resulting in simply single pre-stretching training. This training strategy introduces deep eutectic solvent into polyvinyl alcohol hydrogels to achieve hyperhysteresis via hydrogen bonding nanocrystals on molecular engineering, performs single pre-stretching training to produce hierarchical nanofibrils on structural engineering, and fabricates chemically cross-linked second network to enable stretchability. The resultant eutectogels display exceptional mechanical performances with enormous fracture strength (85.2 MPa), Young’s modulus (98 MPa) and work of rupture (130.6 MJ m−3), which compare favorably to those of previous gels. The presented strategy is generalizable to other solvents and polymer for engineering ultrastrong organogels, and further inspires advanced fabrication technologies for force-induced self-reinforcement materials.

Suggested Citation

  • Chenggong Xu & Ao Xie & Haiyuan Hu & Zhengde Wang & Yange Feng & Daoai Wang & Weimin Liu, 2025. "Ultrastrong eutectogels engineered via integrated mechanical training in molecular and structural engineering," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-13, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-57800-y
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-57800-y
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-57800-y
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-025-57800-y?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Mutian Hua & Shuwang Wu & Yanfei Ma & Yusen Zhao & Zilin Chen & Imri Frenkel & Joseph Strzalka & Hua Zhou & Xinyuan Zhu & Ximin He, 2021. "Strong tough hydrogels via the synergy of freeze-casting and salting out," Nature, Nature, vol. 590(7847), pages 594-599, February.
    2. Meixiang Wang & Xun Xiao & Salma Siddika & Mohammad Shamsi & Ethan Frey & Wen Qian & Wubin Bai & Brendan T. O’Connor & Michael D. Dickey, 2024. "Glassy gels toughened by solvent," Nature, Nature, vol. 631(8020), pages 313-318, July.
    3. Yan Zhang & Yafei Wang & Ying Guan & Yongjun Zhang, 2022. "Peptide-enhanced tough, resilient and adhesive eutectogels for highly reliable strain/pressure sensing under extreme conditions," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-12, December.
    4. Quyang Liu & Xinyu Dong & Haobo Qi & Haoqi Zhang & Tian Li & Yijing Zhao & Guanjin Li & Wei Zhai, 2024. "3D printable strong and tough composite organo-hydrogels inspired by natural hierarchical composite design principles," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-11, December.
    5. Linglan Fu & Lan Li & Qingyuan Bian & Bin Xue & Jing Jin & Jiayu Li & Yi Cao & Qing Jiang & Hongbin Li, 2023. "Cartilage-like protein hydrogels engineered via entanglement," Nature, Nature, vol. 618(7966), pages 740-747, June.
    6. Shaoji Wu & Zhao Liu & Caihong Gong & Wanjiang Li & Sijia Xu & Rui Wen & Wen Feng & Zhiming Qiu & Yurong Yan, 2024. "Spider-silk-inspired strong and tough hydrogel fibers with anti-freezing and water retention properties," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-10, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Lili Liu & Ding Zhang & Peijia Bai & Yanjie Fang & Jiaqi Guo & Qi Li & Rujun Ma, 2025. "Fatigue-resistant and super-tough thermocells," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-10, December.
    2. Woojin Choi & Utkarsh Mangal & Jae-Hun Yu & Jeong-Hyun Ryu & Ji‑Yeong Kim & Taesuk Jun & Yoojin Lee & Heesu Cho & Moonhyun Choi & Milae Lee & Du Yeol Ryu & Sang-Young Lee & Se Yong Jung & Jae-Kook Cha, 2024. "Viscoelastic and antimicrobial dental care bioplastic with recyclable life cycle," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-14, December.
    3. Shaoji Wu & Zhao Liu & Caihong Gong & Wanjiang Li & Sijia Xu & Rui Wen & Wen Feng & Zhiming Qiu & Yurong Yan, 2024. "Spider-silk-inspired strong and tough hydrogel fibers with anti-freezing and water retention properties," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-10, December.
    4. Bin Xue & Xu Han & Haoqi Zhu & Qingtai Li & Yu Zhang & Ming Bai & Ying Li & Yiran Li & Meng Qin & Tasuku Nakajima & Wei Wang & Jian Ping Gong & Yi Cao, 2025. "Hydrogels with prestressed tensegrity structures," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-13, December.
    5. Yihui Gu & Chao Xu & Yilin Wang & Jing Luo & Dongsheng Shi & Wenjuan Wu & Lu Chen & Yongcan Jin & Bo Jiang & Chaoji Chen, 2025. "Compressible, anti-fatigue, extreme environment adaptable, and biocompatible supramolecular organohydrogel enabled by lignosulfonate triggered noncovalent network," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-13, December.
    6. Jize Liu & Wei Zhao & Zhichao Ma & Hongwei Zhao & Luquan Ren, 2025. "Cartilage-bioinspired tenacious concrete-like hydrogel verified via in-situ testing," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-13, December.
    7. Jipeng Zhang & Miaoqian Zhang & Huixiong Wan & Jinping Zhou & Ang Lu, 2025. "Coordinatively stiffen and toughen polymeric gels via the synergy of crystal-domain cross-linking and chelation cross-linking," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-14, December.
    8. Hangchao Wang & Yali Yang & Chuan Gao & Tao Chen & Jin Song & Yuxuan Zuo & Qiu Fang & Tonghuan Yang & Wukun Xiao & Kun Zhang & Xuefeng Wang & Dingguo Xia, 2024. "An entanglement association polymer electrolyte for Li-metal batteries," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-12, December.
    9. Bin Xue & Zhengyu Xu & Lan Li & Kaiqiang Guo & Jing Mi & Haipeng Wu & Yiran Li & Chunmei Xie & Jing Jin & Juan Xu & Chunping Jiang & Xiaosong Gu & Meng Qin & Qing Jiang & Yi Cao & Wei Wang, 2025. "Hydrogels with programmed spatiotemporal mechanical cues for stem cell-assisted bone regeneration," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-18, December.
    10. Xiansheng Zhang & Hongwei Yan & Chongzhi Xu & Xia Dong & Yu Wang & Aiping Fu & Hao Li & Jin Yong Lee & Sheng Zhang & Jiahua Ni & Min Gao & Jing Wang & Jinpeng Yu & Shuzhi Sam Ge & Ming Liang Jin & Lil, 2023. "Skin-like cryogel electronics from suppressed-freezing tuned polymer amorphization," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-10, December.
    11. Ruixin Zhu & Dandan Zhu & Zhen Zheng & Xinling Wang, 2024. "Tough double network hydrogels with rapid self-reinforcement and low hysteresis based on highly entangled networks," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-11, December.
    12. Shixiang Zhou & Yijing Zhao & Kaixi Zhang & Yanran Xun & Xueyu Tao & Wentao Yan & Wei Zhai & Jun Ding, 2024. "Impact-resistant supercapacitor by hydrogel-infused lattice," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-13, December.
    13. Haonan He & Xianchi Zhou & Yuxian Lai & Rouye Wang & Hongye Hao & Xintian Shen & Peng Zhang & Jian Ji, 2025. "Chain entanglement enhanced strong and tough wool keratin/albumin fibers for bioabsorbable and immunocompatible surgical sutures," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-12, December.
    14. Won Bae Han & Gwan-Jin Ko & Kang-Gon Lee & Donghak Kim & Joong Hoon Lee & Seung Min Yang & Dong-Je Kim & Jeong-Woong Shin & Tae-Min Jang & Sungkeun Han & Honglei Zhou & Heeseok Kang & Jun Hyeon Lim & , 2023. "Ultra-stretchable and biodegradable elastomers for soft, transient electronics," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-12, December.
    15. Siqi He & Weiwen Liang & Youchen Tang & Jinquan Zhang & Runxian Wang & Luna Quan & Yang Ouyang & Rongkang Huang & Ruoxu Dou & Dingcai Wu, 2025. "Robust super-structured porous hydrogel enables bioadaptive repair of dynamic soft tissue," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-12, December.
    16. Zheyuan Guo & Wenping Li & Hong Wu & Li Cao & Shuqing Song & Xiaohui Ma & Jiafu Shi & Yanxiong Ren & Tong Huang & Yonghong Li & Zhongyi Jiang, 2025. "Reverse filling approach to mixed matrix covalent organic framework membranes for gas separation," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-9, December.
    17. Hong Ma & Hongli Chen & Minfeng Chen & Anxin Li & Xiang Han & Dingtao Ma & Peixin Zhang & Jizhang Chen, 2025. "Biomimetic and biodegradable separator with high modulus and large ionic conductivity enables dendrite-free zinc-ion batteries," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-13, December.
    18. Limei Huang & Hao Li & Shunxi Wen & Penghui Xia & Fanzhan Zeng & Chaoyi Peng & Jun Yang & Yun Tan & Ji Liu & Lei Jiang & Jianfeng Wang, 2024. "Control nucleation for strong and tough crystalline hydrogels with high water content," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-13, December.
    19. Bin Xue & Zoobia Bashir & Yachong Guo & Wenting Yu & Wenxu Sun & Yiran Li & Yiyang Zhang & Meng Qin & Wei Wang & Yi Cao, 2023. "Strong, tough, rapid-recovery, and fatigue-resistant hydrogels made of picot peptide fibres," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-10, December.
    20. Quyang Liu & Xinyu Dong & Haobo Qi & Haoqi Zhang & Tian Li & Yijing Zhao & Guanjin Li & Wei Zhai, 2024. "3D printable strong and tough composite organo-hydrogels inspired by natural hierarchical composite design principles," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-11, December.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-57800-y. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.