Ultrafast Fabrication Of Organohydrogels With Uv-Blocking, Anti-Freezing, Anti-Drying, And Skin Epidermal Sensing Properties Using Lignin-Cu2+ Plant Catechol Chemistry

Rapid fabrication of organohydrogels at room temperature without external stimuli is a challenge. Inspired by plant catechol chemistry, a self-catalytic system established using sodium lignosulfonate and copper(ii) ions (Ls-Cu2+) has been developed and applied to fabricate organohydrogels rapidly with fascinating multifunctional properties. The Ls-Cu2+ pair can induce ammonium persulfate (APS) to generate free radicals at room temperature, and subsequently initiate the free radical polymerization of hydroxyethyl acrylamide (HEAA) in water-glycerol binary phases in less than 30 s, without the removal of oxygen. The presence of the Ls-Cu2+ pair also endows the organohydrogel materials with fascinating UV-blocking (similar to 100%) and electrically conductive properties, and thereby they can be exploited as epidermal sensors. Owing to the presence of glycerol, the as-prepared organohydrogel exhibits intriguing anti-freezing (similar to-50 degrees C) and anti-drying abilities (22-60 degrees C). This work taps the potential of dynamic plant catechol chemistry in the field of organohydrogel materials.