Pristine Solution Research Articles

Rheology and characterization of sulfated agarans from the edible epiphytic red alga, Vertebrata lanosa (truffle seaweed)

The effect of different cations (K+, Ca2+ and Ba2+) on the gel forming properties of sulfated polysaccharides isolated from the red epiphytic alga, Vertebrata lanosa, using a successive cold (25 °C) and hot (95 °C) alkaline extraction process is presented. The elucidation of their monomeric composition using a two-step reductive hydrolysis and structural analyses (1D and 2D NMR) revealed d-galactose (G) linked to 3,6-anhydro-l-galactose (LA) and also sulfated 3,6-anhydro-l-galactose (L6S) as the major monomers with some amounts of glucose, β-d-xylose, 6-O-methyl-d-galactose (G6M), 2-O-methyl-l-anhydrogalactose (LA2M) and l-arabinofuranose. This composition implied the presence of both diads of agaran types, funoran and porphyran in polysaccharides from Vertebrata lanosa. Similar to funorans, their gelation, was highly influenced in the presence of Ba2+ ions compared to other tested salts. 0.2 M of BaCl2 in the hot extracted fractions recorded storage modulus (Gʹ) to up to ∼80 Pa and increased complex viscosity to 16,000 mPa s compared to the <5 Pa storage modulus from pristine solutions with no added salts. Sulfate amount contained within these fractions ranged up to ∼30% with less than 1 % (gallic acid equivalent, GAE) total phenolic compounds. Some of these fraction, nonetheless, have shown good α-amylase and reactive oxygen species (ROS) inhibition activities thus suggesting a nutraceutical potential of hydrocolloids from this algal species.

Synergetic effect of microfluidic flow and ultrasonication on chains pre-ordering in conjugated polymer solution

Multi-physical fields solution processing strategy provides a universal and facile way to prepare various conjugated polymer (CP) films and high-performance devices, whereas the hierarchical structures evolution and crystallization of the polymer chains are elusive particularly under the far-from-equilibrium state in solution. In this work, we employed a combined microfluidic flow and ultrasonication strategy (FU) for CP solution processing and found a pronounced synergetic effect of these fields in promoting the pre-ordering of chains in solution. This conformation order and anisotropy of the solution were revealed by using UV–Vis absorption, polarized optical microscopy (POM) and cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (Cryo-TEM) characterizations. A non-classical nucleation model for the conjugated polymer crystallization in the procedure of non-equilibrium solution processing was confirmed. The roles of microfluidic flow and ultrasonication on the chain aggregation and crystallization were addressed with the aim of a multi-physical simulation based on pressure acoustics streaming, fluid heat transfer and thermoviscous boundary layer impedance. Compared to pristine solutions, the FU strategy showed improved solution anisotropy and crystallization kinetics, substantially giving rise to a larger crystallinity in films and much increased mobilities for the organic field-effect transistor (OFET) devices by more than an order of magnitude. With an appropriate balance between the solvation and interchain interactions, the FU processing strategy is universal for regulation of chains conformation and aggregation in conjugated polymer solution.

Spectral Behavior of a Conjugated Polymer MDMO-PPV Doped with ZnO Nanoparticles: Thin Films.

The purpose of the presented study is to examine the impact of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) on the spectrum features of poly [2-methoxy-5-(3',7'-dimethyloctyloxy)-1, 4-phenylenevinylene] (MDMO-PPV). The characteristics of the MDMO-PPV and doped ZnO NPS samples were assessed using several techniques. A set of solutions of MDMO-PPV in toluene that were doped with different ratio percentages of ZnO NPs was prepared to obtain thin films. Pristine and composite solutions were spin-coated on glass substrates. It was observed that MDMO-PPV had two distinct absorbance bands at 310 and 500 nm in its absorption spectrum. The UV-Vis spectrum was dramatically changed when 5% of ZnO NPs were added. The result showed a significant reduction in absorption of the band 500 nm, while 310 nm absorption increased rapidly and became more pronounced. Upon adding (10%) ZnONPs to the sample, no noticeable change was observed in the 500 nm band. However, the 310 nm band shifted towards the blue region. There is a dominant peak in the PL spectrum of MDMO-PPV in its pristine form around 575 nm and a smaller hump around 600 nm of the spectrum. The spectral profile at 600 nm and the intensity of both bands are improved by raising the ZnO NP concentration. These bands feature two vibronic transitions identified as (0-0) and (0-1). When the dopant concentration increased to the maximum dopant percentage (10%), the energy band gap values increased by 0.21 eV compared to the pristine MDMO-PPV. In addition, the refractive index (n) decreased to its lowest value of 2.30 with the presence of concentrations of ZnO NPs.

Spectroscopic features of dissolved iodine in pristine and gamma-irradiated nitric acid solutions

While iodine speciation is important for a wide range of nuclear safety activities, understanding the mechanisms of the transformations of iodine between chemical forms and the sensitivity of these transitions to solution conditions and exposure to radiation remains an active area of research. This work curates spectroscopic data from several experimental techniques and establishes their sensitivity and limitations in detecting changes in iodine speciation in both neutral and acidic regimes. The techniques include Raman spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, 127I nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopy. Analysis of these data indicates that these commonly accessible spectroscopies often have dynamic ranges of measurable concentrations that do not always overlap between all techniques. The experimental techniques are disparately sensitive to iodide (I−), molecular iodine (I2), triiodide (I3−) iodate (IO3−), and periodate (IO4−) species. Raman, FTIR, and NMR spectra were subsequentially analyzed using two-dimensional correlation analyses to generate high-resolution autocorrelation spectra. The use of these spectroscopies is then extended to tracking acidification-induced and gamma irradiation-induced transformations of dissolved sodium iodide in deionized water and concentrated nitric acid. Both dissolution into nitric acid and irradiation with a gamma source are demonstrated to perturb the iodine speciation promoting their assembly into I2 and/or I3−. While I2 and I3− species are undetectable with FTIR spectroscopy and 127I NMR spectroscopy, the species can be detected with UV–Vis spectroscopy, and in some instances, I3− can be detected with Raman spectroscopy in the low wavenumber region. Ultimately, the results of this work provide a path to designing optimal combinations of techniques to detect forms of iodine across a wide range of concentrations and conditions.

An organic imidazolium derivative additive inducing fast and highly reversible redox reactions in zinc-bromine flow batteries

In zinc-bromine redox flow batteries (ZBBs), the weak molecular structure and stability of bromine-complexing agent (BCA) can sometime negatively affect battery's performance. To address this issue, this paper introduces a 1,2-dimethyl-3-ethylimidazolium bromide (DMEIm∙Br, C7H13BrN2), comprising planar molecular structure with strong molecular-polarizability and low steric hindrance. The effectiveness of the DMEIm∙Br is compared and verified with those of two popular BCAs through various electrochemical experiments including full-cell tests for 200 cycles. Experimental results show that the DMEIm∙Br significantly contributes to apparently enhancing reaction kinetics and reversibility of Zn2+/Zn(s) and Br−/Br2 redox couples by inducing highly reversible zinc-plating/stripping (by strong electrostatic shielding effect) and bromine-capture/release (along with strong bromine-binding strength) in anolyte and catholyte solutions, respectively. The superior chemical and electrochemical properties are clearly demonstrated by the fact that the DMEIm∙Br-supported solution in ZBBs exhibits 5.53 (24.19) and 7.29 (16.99) % higher current and voltaic efficiencies than the pristine solution at the temperature of 25 (60) °C, respectively. It also exhibits remarkably improved discharge-capacity retention of averagely 99.17% for 200 cycles along with a slight discharge-capacity loss of only 1.46% vs. 1st cycle at 200th cycle, even at the high temperature of 60 °C.

Electrically Switchable Film Structure of Conjugated Polymer Composites

Domains rich in different blend components phase-separate during deposition, creating a film morphology that determines the performance of active layers in organic electronics. However, morphological control either relies on additional fabrication steps or is limited to a small region where an external interaction is applied. Here, we show that different semiconductor-insulator polymer composites can be rapidly dip-coated with the film structure electrically switched between distinct morphologies during deposition guided by the meniscus formed between the stationary barrier and horizontally drawn solid substrate. Reversible and repeatable changes between the morphologies used in devices, e.g., lateral morphologies and stratified layers of semiconductors and insulators, or between phase-inverted droplet-like structures are manifested only for one polarity of the voltage applied across the meniscus as a rectangular pulse. This phenomenon points to a novel mechanism, related to voltage-induced doping and the doping-dependent solubility of the conjugated polymer, equivalent to an increased semiconductor content that controls the composite morphologies. This is effective only for the positively polarized substrate rather than the barrier, as the former entrains the nearby lower part of the coating solution that forms the final composite film. The mechanism, applied to the pristine semiconductor solution, results in an increased semiconductor deposition and 40-times higher film conductance.

Alizarin-functionalized organic-inorganic silane coatings for the development of wearable textile sensors

HypothesisThe broad detection properties of alizarin, not only concerning pH variations but also temperature, glucose and health-like relevant cations alterations, make it a molecule of great scientific interest, particularly for developing multifunctional wearable sensors. ExperimentHerein, the alizarin red S dyestuff is bonded with trimethoxy-[3-(oxiran-2-ylmethoxy)propyl]silane, as a sol–gel precursor, to functionalize cotton fabrics. The chemical and structural properties of both plain and silane-functionalized dyestuffs are investigated in solution and solid-state by several chemical-physical characterization techniques. FindingsThe hybrid dyestuff characterization reveals the epoxy ring-opening of the silica precursor, leading to covalent linkages to the sulfonic group of alizarin, which retains its structure during the sol–gel reaction. The silane-functionalized halochromic dyestuff shows similar halochromic behaviour as its pristine solution in the investigated pH range, thus demonstrating a color shift from yellow to red due to the protonation/deprotonation reversible mechanism of the chromophore. The reversibility and repeatability of pH-sensing properties of treated cotton fabrics are confirmed by diffuse reflectance and CIELAB color space characterizations. Cotton fabric functionalized with alizarin-containing sol–gel coating shows excellent durability of halochromic properties, thus emerging as a versatile platform for stimuli-responsive materials.

Cooperative effects of Dopant-Free Hole-Transporting materials and polycarbonate film for sustainable perovskite solar cells

Dopant-free hole-transporting materials (HTMs) and interface modification are two effective approaches for developing sustainable perovskite solar cells (PSCs). In this work, dopant-free HTM (GW-4) containing an N-ethyl-carbazole with two rotatable vinyl linkages is first synthesized by a green chemical method without any metal catalysts. The GW-4 cost is only 22.43% of the price of commercial 2,2′,7,7′-tetrakis[N,N-di(4-methoxyphenyl)amino]-9,9′-spirobifluorene (spiro-OMeTAD). In the device fabrication, the concentrations of doped GW-4 (20 mg mL−1) and pristine GW-4 solutions (10 mg mL−1) are much lower than that of spiro-OMeTAD solution (doped, 72.3 mg mL−1). The power conversion efficiency (PCE) of doped GW-4-based cell is 20.45%, superior to that of spiro-OMeTAD-based cell (19.59%). As the optimal concentration of dopant-free GW-4 is insufficient to completely cover the perovskite layer, a polycarbonate (PC) polymer with carbonyl groups is first introduced to modulate perovskite grain boundaries and improve film-forming property of pristine GW-4. The cell with PC/pristine GW-4 has a slightly higher PCE (17.92%) than the cell with pristine GW-4 (17.66%). Regarding humid stability, after 455 h, the doped GW-4 and spiro-OMeTAD based PSCs retain only 11.71% and 2.27% of the initial efficiency, respectively. In striking contrast, after 850 h, the pristine GW-4 and PC/pristine GW-4 based devices retain 69.74% and 97.53% of the initial efficiency, respectively. This study provides both a new molecular design strategy to develop highly efficient dopant-free HTMs and an ingenious interfacial contrivance to overcome the defects of incomplete coverage of HTM film on perovskite layer and understand the charge dynamics at interfacial layers.

Intrinsically Viscoelastic Supramolecular Conjugated Polymer toward Suppressing Coffee-Ring Effect

Intrinsically Viscoelastic Supramolecular Conjugated Polymer toward Suppressing Coffee-Ring Effect

Enhancement of CO2 removal by promoted MDEA solution in a hollow fiber membrane contactor: A numerical and experimental study

In this work, carbon dioxide (CO2) loading capacity of methyldiethanolamine (MDEA) solution promoted by potassium lysinate (KLys) was experimentally measured by using a gas absorption setup at different concentrations and temperatures. The CO2 removal efficiency of the MDEA + KLys solution was investigated for a CO2/N2 gas mixture by using computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulations in a hollow fiber membrane contactor (HFMC). The effects of operating conditions including solvent concentration, solvent flow rate, gas flow rate, inlet CO2 concentration and module length on the CO2 removal efficiency were also studied. The experimental results revealed that CO2 loading capacity increases with increasing KLys concentration in the solution, while decreases as temperature increases. The simulation results indicated that MDEA + KLys solution has higher CO2 removal efficiency compared to pristine MDEA and MEA solutions. The CO2 removal efficiency increases with increasing solvent concentration, solvent flow rate and module length, whereas decreases as gas flow rate increases. The zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8), as sorbent, was then incorporated into the MDEA + KLys solution and its effect on the CO2 removal efficiency was also examined. The MDEA + KLys + ZIF-8 nano-absorbent showed higher CO2 removal efficiency than that of MDEA + KLys absorbent, where introducing 0.4 wt.% ZIF-8 enhanced CO2 removal from ⁓96% to ⁓99%. The results of this work suggest that both MDEA + KLys absorbent and MDEA + KLys + ZIF-8 nano-absorbent are promising candidates for CO2 absorption processes. However, for practical use as well as a complete investigation, their behavior should be assessed by using other parameters of solvent such as reactivity with CO2, corrosion rate, and regeneration performance.

Polyimide aerogels using melamine as an economical yet effective crosslinker

Polyimide (PI) aerogels with crosslinked structure are promising for diverse applications owing to their nano-porous nature and superior properties in many aspects. However, the crosslinkers used for preparing crosslinked PI aerogels are always laboriously available and expensive. The economical melamine therefore was chosen as a substitute in this study. It was proved that the use of melamine was indeed a viable strategy for effectively crosslinking PI chains. The resultant melamine-crosslinked PI (MPI) aerogels were tested to have relatively low shrinkage (as low as 9.96 vol%), ultralight bulk densities (0.084–0.116 g cm−3) and low thermal conductivity (< 40.0 mW m−1 K−1), together with considerable thermal stability (onset temperature to decompose up to 503 ℃) and acceptable compressive strength (Young’s modulus of 1.12–10.04 MPa). Meanwhile, the morphology and properties of MPI aerogels can also be tailored by regulating the proportion of hybrid diamines as well as the polymer concentration of pristine solution. Given all of these, MPI aerogels using melamine as an economical yet effective crosslinker will have a broad prospect in many fields including thermal insulation.

Pure-Blue Fluorescence Molecule for Nondoped Electroluminescence with External Quantum Efficiency Approaching 13%

A pure-blue light-emitting material is one of the key components in the preparation of organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays. Although high-efficiency blue OLEDs have been realized in therma...

A high ZIF-8 loading PVA mixed matrix membrane on alumina hollow fiber with enhanced ethanol dehydration

In this work, a zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8)/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) mixed matrix membrane (MMM) was coated onto α-aluminum oxide (α-Al2O3) hollow fibers for ethanol dehydration by utilizing the pervaporation technique. ZIF-8/PVA solution was prepared via a drying-free, water-based method to obtain a uniform distribution MMM. Before coating the MMM onto the hollow fiber, a pristine PVA solution was first dip-coated onto hollow fiber as a gutter layer to prevent phase separation. Different weight ratios of ZIF-8-loaded MMMs were prepared. The results showed that at high ZIF-8 loading (39 wt %), a high permeate flux (685 g/m2 h) and high separation factor (4821) can be observed. Furthermore, compared with free-standing ZIF-8/PVA MMMs, hollow fiber supported ZIF-8/PVA MMMs exhibit a thinner coating thickness but higher pervaporation separation index (approximately 1.5–2 times). The main contribution of this study is not only fabricated the high loading ZIF-8/PVA composite membrane with enhanced performance, but also coated onto the hollow fiber membrane which opens a gate for scale-up production.

Electrical Signature of Ultrasound-Induced Anisotropic Self-Assembly of Poly(3-Hexylthiophene) (P3HT) during Channel Formation

We probed ultrasound irradiation-induced structural ordering of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) chains during solidification of a sonicated P3HT solution by monitoring the temporal evolution of the electrical and spectroscopic signals. We observed a peak source-drain current in the test devices during the electrical channel formation, followed by a significant decrease, which has not been observed in the pristine P3HT solution as the solvent evaporates. Through P3HT concentration-dependent gated-sheet conductance and in-situ Raman spectroscopy measurements during channel formation, we found that the competition between aggregation of the disentangled P3HT chains in solution by sonication and the concentration-dependent chain interactions with solvent evaporation led to a distinct electrical signature in the channel formation of the sonicated P3HT film compared to that of the pristine P3HT. The finding provides insights into new opportunities through optimization between the thermodynamic and kinetic considerations in designing pre-deposition treatments for enhanced charge transport.

Direct printing of gold nanospheres from colloidal solutions by pyro-electrohydrodynamic jet allows hypersensitive SERS sensing

Pyro-electrohydrodynamic jet printing (p-jet) has been used to fabricate a nanostructured plasmonic sensor for SERS spectroscopy. The p-jet approach allowed us to have an assembly of nanoparticles with suitable geometry and size, which resulted in a sensing surface with intense SERS activity and a rather homogeneous response. Raman imaging measurements highlighted strong Enhancement Factors across the sensing area, exceeding those of the pristine colloidal solution by almost two orders of magnitude. The intense plasmonic effect was further demonstrated by the spectroscopic recognition of a metal-catalyzed dimerization process triggered to completeness at the metal surface. The results presented herein demonstrate the usefulness of the proposed SERS sensor for hypersensitive molecular analysis.

Improved performance of flexible perovskite light-emitting diodes with modified PEDOT:PSS hole transport layer

We demonstrated the improved device performance of flexible perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs) on indium-tin oxide coated poly(ethylene terephthalate) (ITO/PET) substrates by using modified poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) as a hole transport layer (HTL). Solvent modification and dopant modification of the PEDOT:PSS solution were carried out by adding isopropyl alcohol (IPA) and poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) (PSS-Na), respectively, to the pristine solution. Devices with the modified HTLs, PEDOT:PSS+IPA and PEDOT:PSS+PSS-Na, exhibited a significant enhancement in both luminance and efficiency. The work function of HTL was improved to reduce the energy barrier against the perovskite layer and facilitate hole transport. The perovskite films deposited on the modified PEDOT:PSS layers showed a uniformly covered surface morphology without any defects, resulting in an increased PL intensity. In particular, the perovskite film coated on the dopant modified HTL showed a better crystallinity and reduced luminescence quenching. The PeLED device with the PEDOT:PSS+PSS-Na HTL exhibited a maximum luminance of 3900cd/m2, a maximum current efficiency of 25.1cd/A, and a maximum external quantum efficiency of 5.9%.

A mechanistic study and in-vivo toxicity bioassay on acetamiprid photodegradation over the zeolite supported cerium-based photocatalyst

Photocatalysis is well-known as an effective tool for the removal of pollutants but its eco-friendly aspect has not been well explored in the literature. In this study, we prepared an ultraviolet-active photocatalyst by the growth of cerium oxide/sulfide nanoparticles in the zeolite channels via a facile coprecipitation method. The photocatalyst was comprehensively characterized by different analysis methods and showed good activity toward removal of acetamiprid, ACP, a commonly used insecticide. As the main focus of the current work, an in vivo bioassay was carried out to investigate the acute toxicity of the contaminant solutions before and after photoreaction. Accordingly, acetamiprid and the phototreated solutions were orally injected to different groups of laboratory rats. The results indicated that the number of white blood cells and hemoglobin level of the rats exposed to the phototreated solutions decreased from 7.57 ± 1.17 and 15.47 ± 0.85–6.15 ± 0.84 and 14.07 ± 1.31, respectively, compared to the control group’s pathological markers. Also, the level of ALT and AST enzymes increased from 268 ± 33 and 66.7 ± 19.2–375 ± 29 and 98.7 ± 32.3, respectively, indicating the liver dysfunction. These results along with the weight loss and increase in body temperature verified that unlike the pristine ACP solution, the phototreated solutions induced significant toxicity to the laboratory rats. In addition, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis was served to clarify the toxicity assessment results and propose a suitable photoproduct generation pathway.

Microdroplet-captured tapes for rapid sampling and SERS detection of food contaminants

Simple, effective, and rapid detection of chemically relevant hazards is a highly desirable research goal, which can provide early-warning information to improve the patient-care outcomes for public health. Here, we introduce a microdroplet-captured tape toward rapid SERS screening of food contaminants. The dominant sensing unit lies on functionalized microwell in conductive carbon tapes, which is simply prepared by physical punching, magnetron sputtering and electrochemical deposition of Au nanodendrites. The tape-based sensors not only possess highly branched Au nanodendrites in microwell for promoting SERS activity, but also enable anchoring the microdroplets via direct dip-pulling from pristine analytes solutions upon sticky incorporated on a glove. Early-warning SERS detection of food contaminants including Sudan-1, thiram, and thiabendazole from the real samples can be achieved by such simple sampling method. These tape-based sensors with a facile operation module and accessible signal read-out represent an innovative point-of-care testing (POCT) device for forensic, military, consumer protection, environmental monitoring, and food safety applications.

Fabrication of Multifunctional Polyester Fabrics by Using Fluorinated Polymer Coatings

Facile and effective polymer coatings are highly desirable in the creation of functional surfaces for various applications. A polymer coating by using poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene (PVDF-HFP) and a fluorinated alkyl silane (FAS-17) in volatile solvent has been proposed in the literature for the fabrication of chemically stable and superamphiphobic fabrics. This method, however, suffered from the fact that the results were unable to be experimentally reproduced by the authors. In this work, FAS-17-modified PVDF-HFP with surface energy of 14.04 mN/m was prepared through two-step reactions in acetone using coupling agent 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (H2N-(CH2)3-Si-(OCH3)3) and 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorodecyltriethoxysilane (FAS-17, F3C-(CF2)7-(CH2)2-Si-(OC2H5)3) in the first and second reaction steps, respectively. This coating solution was then applied onto the twill weave polyester fabric using a dip-coating method. The as-fabricated surfaces exhibited extreme liquid repellency as signified by high static contact angles (149.5 °−105.7 °) against six pure liquids (water, ethylene glycol, hexadecane, pentadecane, nonane, octane) with surface tension values ranging from 72.8 to 21.4 mN/m. Furthermore, this coating showed chemical stability to strong acid (96 % sulfuric acid) and strong base (38 % sodium hydroxide). In addition to self-cleaning property, the coating also exhibited self-healing property as revealed by the static contact angle change with the plasma-and-heat treatment cycles. Moreover, it is interesting to note that coating of fabrics with the pristine solution of PVDF-HFP and FAS-17 may instead find its potential applications in oil-water separation. High separation efficiency, stability, and reusability were exhibited by the as-fabricated separation membrane.

Ionic transport and mechanical properties of slide-ring gel swollen with Mg-ion electrolytes

We applied a slide-ring (SR) gel to a Mg2+ ion gel electrolyte and clarified the electrical and mechanical properties in order to achieve a Mg2+ ion gel electrolyte with both sufficient mechanical strength and high ionic conductivity. The SR gel is made from polyrotaxane, which has a structure that consists of cyclic molecules, α-cyclodextrins (CDs), threaded by an axial polymer chain, polyethylene glycol (PEG), and cross-linked by divinyl sulfone. Pure glymes and tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether (tetraglyme: G4) dissolving Mg2+ ions had no ability to swell the SR gel, whereas diethylene glycol dimethyl ether (diglyme: G2) and triethylene glycol dimethyl ether (triglyme: G3) dissolving Mg2+ ions were able to swell the SR gel. The swelling behavior was strongly dependent on the interaction between Mg2+ ions complexed with glymes and ether oxygens of a PEG-based hydroxypropyl PR (HyPR) network. Upon tensile elongation, SR gel swollen with G3 solution dissolving Mg2+ ions could be extended by 300%, which indicated the unique property of high ductility. The ionic conductivity of SR gel swollen with G3 dissolving Mg2+ ions, which approximately satisfied a Vogel-Tamman-Fulcher (VTF) dependence, was 1.73 mS cm−1 at room temperature, and the molar conductivity was 67% of that for a pristine G3 solution dissolving Mg2+ ions.