Universal Strategy for Designing Shape Memory Hydrogels
Dora C S Costa1, Patrícia D C Costa1, Maria C Gomes1
1Department of Chemistry, CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
ACS Materials Letters
|December 26, 2022
Summary
Researchers developed a simple method to create shape-memory hydrogels from non-thermoresponsive materials. These smart biomaterials exhibit excellent shape recovery at body temperature and are cytocompatible for biomedical applications.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Materials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
Background:
- Smart polymeric biomaterials are crucial for biomedical applications due to their adaptability.
- Hydrogels with shape memory ability are highly sought after for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a versatile method for imparting thermoresponsive shape memory properties to hydrogels.
- To create advanced hydrogel composites for potential biomedical implantation.
Main Methods:
- Embedding a thermoresponsive polyurethane mesh into various functionalized hydrogel networks (methacrylated chitosan, gelatin, laminarin, hyaluronic acid).
- Evaluating the shape memory performance (fixity and recovery ratios) at body temperature (37 °C).
- Assessing the cytocompatibility of the developed hydrogel composites with encapsulated and surface-cultured cells.
Main Results:
- Achieved good to excellent shape fixity ratios (50-90%) and near-instantaneous shape recovery (∼100%) at 37 °C.
- Demonstrated good cell viability during all shape memory actuation cycles.
- Successfully converted non-thermoresponsive hydrogels into thermoresponsive systems with shape memory capabilities.
Conclusions:
- The straightforward method effectively imparts shape memory properties to diverse hydrogel systems.
- The developed smart hydrogel composites show significant potential for various biological and non-biological applications.
- This approach offers a broad platform for creating advanced functional biomaterials.
