Highly Oriented Bio-Mimetic Hydrogels by Calendering

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Biomaterials Engineering
• Tissue Engineering

Background:

• Anisotropic hydrogels are crucial for load-bearing tissue engineering applications.
• Challenges exist in creating scalable methods for hydrogels with high strength, toughness, and resistance to fatigue and swelling.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an effective and scalable strategy for fabricating biomimetic anisotropic hydrogels.
• To achieve superior mechanical properties, including tensile strength, toughness, and fatigue resistance.

Main Methods:

• An organogel-assisted calendering strategy was employed, inspired by nacre and soft tissues.
• Synergistic shearing and annealing promoted macromolecular alignment and a nacre-like lamellar structure.

Main Results:

• The anisotropic hydrogels achieved high tensile strength (41.0 ± 6.4 MPa) and elastic modulus (67.0 ± 5.1 MPa).
• Exceptional toughness (46.2 ± 3.3 MJ m⁻³) and fracture energy (62.20 ± 8.55 kJ m⁻²) were observed.
• Excellent crack growth and swelling resistance, with a fatigue threshold of 2170 J m⁻², were demonstrated.

Conclusions:

• The organogel-assisted calendering strategy offers a promising approach for large-scale production of biomimetic anisotropic hydrogels.
• The developed hydrogels possess outstanding mechanical properties suitable for biomedical and engineering applications.