High strength and low friction of a PAA-alginate-silica hydrogel as potential material for artificial soft tissues

In this study, a series of poly(acrylic) acid (PAA)-based hydrogels was prepared by UV polymerization. Hydrogels with an interpenetrating network structure were formed by combining PAA and alginate (Alg) solutions. The incorporation of nano-silica into these gel solutions significantly increased their compressive strength and fracture toughness but lowered their cross-linking density and friction coefficient. The prepared hydrogels were considerably hydrophilic for water content greater than 98%, which is in accordance with the nature of soft tissues such as cartilage. The preliminary cell culture of adipose stem cells (ADSCs) on PAA-Alg-Si hydrogels results in good biological safety. These features suggest that the PAA-Alg-Si hydrogels prepared in this study can be used as artificial soft tissues.