Highly Extensible Double‐Network Gels with Self‐Assembling Anisotropic Structure

Novel hydrogels that possess highly ordered anisotropic structures have been synthesized by controlling the diffusion direction of multivalent ions that act as cross-linkers into a semi-rigid polyelectrolyte solution. A double network (DN) technique is then used to form highly ordered DN gels with excellent mechanical properties, e.g., an extensibility of over 2200% the original length under uniaxial elongation.