Glassy gels demonstrate strength and stretchability

Developed in the US, the glassy gels are simple to produce and could find numerous applications. The work is described in Nature.

“We’ve created a class of materials that we’ve termed glassy gels, which are as hard as glassy polymers, but – if you apply enough force – can stretch up to five times their original length, rather than breaking,” said Michael Dickey, corresponding author of the paper on the work and the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at North Carolina State University. “What’s more, once the material has been stretched, you can get it to return to its original shape by applying heat. In addition, the surface of the glassy gels is highly adhesive, which is unusual for hard materials.”

“A key thing that distinguishes glassy gels is that they are more than 50 per cent liquid, which makes them more efficient conductors of electricity than common plastics that have comparable physical characteristics,” said Meixiang Wang, co-lead author of the paper and a postdoctoral researcher at NC State. “Considering the number of unique properties they possess, we’re optimistic that these materials will be useful.”