This proposal details a set of research activities designed to advance the present level of scientific knowledge in the mechanics of soft-wet material failure. Experiments have been designed to provide both fine-grained micro-scale investigations of failure processes as well as coarse-grained information such as fracture toughness and flaw evolution. The intellectual merit of this work stems from the unique properties of stimulus-responsive hydrogels and the nature of the proposed investigation. Despite the tremendous potential of many soft-wet materials, comprehensive measurements that probe their failure, that consider the role of polymer network structure and cross-link density, are missing. The broader impacts of this project are related to the tremendous growth potential of biomedical and actuation technologies that could benefit from stimulus-responsive hydrogels. Engineering graduate students from under-represented groups will perform the majority of the proposed research.
