Bioinspired Tough and Antiswelling Hydrogel via in Situ Self-Assembly of Amphiphilic Copolymers within a Hydrophilic
Changzhi Xu1, Mengyu Li1, Yi Wang1
1Center for Molecular Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School for Radiological and Interdisciplinary Sciences (RAD-X), Collaborative Innovation Center of Radiological Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China.
Abstract:
Inspired by tropoelastin coacervation, a process in elastic fiber formation driven by hydrophobic interactions, we developed a tough, antiswelling hydrogel, PHEA-(PVA-co-PE), by incorporating amphiphilic poly(vinyl alcohol-co-ethylene) (PVA-co-PE) into a hydrophilic poly(2-hydroxyethyl acrylate) (PHEA) network. The PHEA-(PVA-co-PE) hydrogel was prepared by UV-induced polymerization of a PHEA precursor dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) solution containing PVA-co-PE, followed by immersion in water. During solvent exchange, PVA-co-PE self-assembled into micellar structures within the PHEA matrix, mimicking the coacervation of tropoelastin. Compared with PHEA and PVA-co-PE hydrogels, the strength of PHEA-(PVA-co-PE) increased by 83 and 7 times, while the toughness increased by 145 and 97 times. This strategy can be further extended to a variety of amphiphilic copolymers, demonstrating the universality. In vitro and in vivo tests demonstrated that the hydrogel possesses excellent biocompatibility and antiswelling capability. This study provides a simple method for developing a tough, biocompatible, and antiswelling hydrogel.
More Related Videos
09:19Patterning Bioactive Proteins or Peptides on Hydrogel Using Photochemistry for Biological Applications
Published on: September 15, 2017
05:24Author Spotlight: Improving the Production of Self-Assembling Fibers and Peptide Hydrogels for Superior Biocompatibility
Published on: September 6, 2024
Related Concept Videos
Cohesion
On a surface,...
Dehydration Synthesis
Dehydration synthesis (also called a condensation reaction) is the chemical process in which two molecules covalently link together to form a new molecule, along with the release of a water molecule. Many physiologically important compounds form by dehydration synthesis reactions, such as complex carbohydrates, proteins, DNA, and RNA.
Synthesis of carbohydrates
Sugar molecules are covalently linked together by dehydration synthesis. During the reaction, the hydroxyl (-OH) group from...
Intermolecular Forces
Noncovalent Attractions in Biomolecules
Four types of noncovalent interactions are hydrogen bonds, van der Waals forces, ionic bonds, and hydrophobic interactions.
Hydrogen bonding results from the electrostatic attraction of a hydrogen atom covalently bonded to a strong-electronegative atom like oxygen,...
Mechanism of Filopodia Formation
Their main function is to guide migrating cells during normal tissue morphogenesis or cancer metastasis by recognizing and making initial contacts with the extracellular matrix. However, they can also act as stationary cell anchors or help to establish communication...
Mechanisms of Membrane Domain Formation
Another mechanism for membrane domain formation involves membrane proteins interacting with cytoskeletal...
