The mechanical properties of nanostructured polyelectrolyte hydrogels have been investigated targeting specifically the nonlinear deformation regime at large strains and the fracture properties. The hydrogels were synthesized using a thiol-ene cross-linking chemistry of polyacrylic acid precursor chains previously functionalized with double bonds. Some polymers were also grafted with C-12 side chains able to form hydrophobic clusters in water. The large strain deformation of these nanostructured gels was tested in uniaxial compression by performing loading/unloading cycles at different strain rates and up to different maximum strains. All hydrogels displayed a pronounced strain hardening before fracture and a strain dependent hysteresis but the magnitude of these effects depended on the details of the composition. The most pronounced strain hardening was observed for the unmodified hydrogels in pure water while the largest hysteresis was found for the gels containing the highest concentration of nanoclusters. These dissipative processes barely influence the mechanical behaviour at small strains where the gel remains very elastic but become important at large strains and improve the resistance to fracture of the gels. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.