Can GG ′ crosslinks be formed in a polymer gel?

For concreteness going forward, we consider gels with two types of complementary binding sites, denoted G and G ′, which can come together to form GG ′ crosslinks. Model for crosslink dynamics. a Polymer degradation and crosslink breaking are two potential ways for a large particle to escape its cage in a polymer gel.

Is crosslink breaking reversible?

Model for crosslink dynamics. a Polymer degradation and crosslink breaking are two potential ways for a large particle to escape its cage in a polymer gel. However, crosslink breaking is reversible while polymer degradation is not.

Can crosslinks break and reform a reversible gel?

Unlike the previous case, this means that crosslinks can spontaneously break and reform, resulting in a reversible gel. The gel structure evolves over a self-healing time scale, τh.

Can Crystal-domain cross-linking and chelation crosslinking break the trade-off?

This work proposes a facile yet versatile strategy to break through this trade-off via the synergistic effect of crystal-domain cross-linking and chelation cross-linking, without the need for specific structure design or adding other reinforcements.

How does CaCl 2 affect ft-C gel?

It is worth noting that the signal of FT-C gel became blunter, nearly disappearing, which might be attributed to the salting-in effect of CaCl 2 on PVA polymer chains, inducing relaxation of polymer chains, which is different from the multivalent cation-induced coordination interaction 44.

How do crosslinks and entanglement affect a polymer cage?

The structural integrity of the polymer cage that surrounds the diffusing particles comes from a combination of crosslinks and entanglement. Since the mechanism presented here couples the crosslink dynamics to particle binding, we have focused on gels that are not entangled so as to most cleanly demonstrate the principle.