Dual Ionically Cross-linked Double-Network Hydrogels with High Strength, Toughness, Swelling Resistance, and Improved 3D Printing Processability

We report a dual ionic cross-linking approach for the preparation of double-network hydrogels with robustness, high strength, and toughness, sodium alginate/poly(acrylamide-co-acrylic acid)/Fe3+ (SA/P(AAm-co-AAc)/Fe3+), in a facile “one-step” dual ionic cross-linking method. We take advantage of the abundant carboxyl groups on alginate molecules and the copolymer chains and their high coordination capacity with multivalent metal ions to obtain...