Modeling Friction of Elastic Hydrogels*

We employ dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) to simulate the frictional behavior of polymeric hydrogels. DPD offers a mesoscopic perspective, capturing the essential hydrodynamic and thermodynamic properties of the system. The gel is modeled as a network of randomly connected elastic filaments using the bead-spring approach. We focus on two cases: a gel sliding over a flat solid wall and two gels sliding against each other. Our work aims to elucidate the impact of gel properties, such as network density and interfacial interactions, on frictional forces and gel deformation under shear conditions. Our simulations provide insights into the micromechanics governing gel friction, which are important for optimizing the design of soft materials in biomedical and engineering applications.