Preparation of self-healing pHEMA hydrogels using dynamic covalent crosslinkers

In this study, a crosslinker with dynamic properties (SH-Crosslinker) was synthesized via the thiol-Michael reaction and the introduction of methacrylate groups. A self-healing hydrogel (SH-Hydrogel) was then produced through the thermal polymerization of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) and SH-Crosslinker. In contrast to an unhealable control hydrogel prepared using ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) crosslinker, SH-Hydrogel demonstrated a recovery of nearly 90% of its original tensile strength after being cut. Utilizing the same solution mixture used in the SH-Hydrogel production, a self-healing contact lens (SH-Lens) was fabricated. This contact lens demonstrated a high visible-light transmittance of 97.3% and a water content of 40.4%, comparable to commercial contact lenses. Consequently, this research on hydrogels with dynamically crosslinked agents enabled the development of contact lenses with self-healing properties.

Self-healing poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) hydrogels based on dynamic covalent crosslinker.