Fig. 1: Schematic illustration.
From: Toward tough and sustainable hydrogel-cement composites via biomineralization-inspired strategy
a Structure of spongy bone. b Preparation process of composites. c In-situ polymerization of hydrogel monomers within the cement matrix forms a continuous three-dimensional polymer network. d Attachment of cement particles on hydrogel network. e After polymerization, water is gradually released from hydrogel and reacts with the adhered cement particles, leading to the formation and deposition of cement hydration products on the network surface. Throughout this process, the integrity of the three-dimensional hydrogel network is still maintained.
