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Dynamic and Wearable Electro-responsive Hydrogel with Robust Mechanical Properties for Drug Release
Xiaozhuang Zhou1,2, Nan Zhang1,2, Shruthi Kandalai1,2
1Department of Radiation Oncology, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|March 22, 2023
Summary
Electro-responsive dynamic hydrogels were developed using direct current voltage (DCV) to rearrange sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) micelles. These advanced hydrogels offer tunable networks for controlled release applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Electro-responsive dynamic hydrogels (ERHs) are crucial for biomedicine and energy science due to their mechanical strength and spatiotemporal control.
- Developing ERHs with all desired properties remains a significant challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To create novel ERHs with enhanced electro-responsiveness, mechanical robustness, and tunable network properties.
- To investigate the mechanism of DCV-induced network changes and their impact on cargo release.
Main Methods:
- Utilized direct current voltage (DCV) to induce rearrangement of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) micelles within the hydrogel network.
- Characterized hydrogel network changes, including mesh size enlargement, via DCV treatment.
- Incorporated hydrophobic cargo (thiostrepton) and monitored its release upon DCV application.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated DCV-induced enlargement of hydrogel mesh size by tuning SDS micelle-assisted hydrophobic interactions.
- Achieved high stretchability (>6000%) and toughness (507 J/m²) in the developed ERHs.
- Successfully demonstrated on-demand release of hydrophobic cargo (thiostrepton) triggered by DCV.
Conclusions:
- The developed ERHs exhibit robust mechanical properties, precise spatiotemporal resolution, and dynamic characteristics like self-healing and injectability.
- These ERHs show significant potential for applications in wearable bioelectronics and advanced smart drug delivery systems.
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