Self-growing polymers repair themselves when fractured
Double-network approach creates materials that mimic biological systems
A team in Japan has succeeded in developing self-growing materials that respond to mechanical stress by regenerating themselves like human muscle tissue. The team placed a double-network polymer hydrogel in a supply of monomers. When the network in the hydrogel was fractured under stress, the monomers bonded with the broken ends of the existing polymers to form new network material.