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Highly mineralized chitosan-based material with large size, gradient mineral distribution and hierarchical structure
Boying Pei1, Zhengke Wang1, Jingyi Nie1
1MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China.
Carbohydrate Polymers
|January 20, 2019
Summary
Researchers developed a fast, facile method to create large, highly mineralized materials using chitosan. This technique enables simultaneous gelation and mineralization, paving the way for advanced bone repair and tissue engineering applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Biomaterials Engineering
Background:
- Natural mineralized materials exhibit hierarchical structures and superior performance due to their organic-inorganic composition.
- Current methods for mimicking natural materials face challenges in large-scale, ambient fabrication of high-calcium content bulk materials.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present a facile and versatile route for the rapid fabrication of large-size, highly mineralized materials under ambient conditions.
- To develop a method enabling simultaneous gelation and mineralization with controllable hierarchical microstructures and inorganic gradients.
Main Methods:
- In situ preparation involving simultaneous gelation and mineralization within a chitosan matrix.
- Utilizing urea to achieve high mineral content and facilitate rapid fabrication (hours).
- Formation of hierarchically ordered hydrogel microstructures and spontaneous inorganic gradient distribution.
Main Results:
- Successful fabrication of large-scale, highly mineralized materials with hierarchical structures.
- Demonstrated facile, efficient, and rapid (hours) gelation and mineralization process.
- Achieved high mineral content through urea-assisted synthesis.
Conclusions:
- Chitosan matrix-directed mineralization offers a promising strategy for fast, large-scale fabrication of hierarchical mineralized materials.
- The developed chitosan-based mineralized material shows significant potential for bone repair and tissue engineering applications.
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