Photothermal Polymerization Using Graphene Oxide for Robust Hydrogelation with Various Light Sources.

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Photopolymerization offers spatiotemporal control for hydrogelation.
• Photothermal hydrogelation with near-infrared (NIR) light shows promise but faces efficiency issues due to wavelength dependency on plasmonic nanoparticles.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a wavelength-independent photothermal hydrogelation system.
• To overcome the limitations of existing photothermal agents like gold nanorods (GNRs).

Main Methods:

• Utilized PEGylated graphene oxide (GO-PEG) as a photothermal agent.
• Irradiated GO-PEG solutions with various light sources (532, 785, and 980 nm) to induce thermal gelation of polyethylene diacrylate (PEGDA).
• Demonstrated in vivo transdermal gel formation using GO-PEG and PEGDA with 785 and 980 nm lasers.

Main Results:

• GO-PEG exhibited efficient heat generation across a wide range of light wavelengths.
• Sufficient temperature increases were achieved to induce thermal gelation of PEGDA.
• Successful remote transdermal gel formation in vivo was demonstrated.

Conclusions:

• The developed GO-PEG system provides wavelength-independent photothermal hydrogelation.
• This approach enhances reaction efficiency and broadens applicability in biomedical fields.
• The system holds significant potential for various remote hydrogelation applications.