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Robust self-healing hydrogels assisted by cross-linked nanofiber networks.

ABSTRACT: Given increasing environmental and energy issues, mimicking nature to confer synthetic materials with self-healing property to expand their lifespan is highly desirable. Just like human skin recovers itself upon damage with the aid of nutrient-laden blood vascularization, designing smart materials with microvascular network to accelerate self-healing is workable but continues to be a challenge. Here we report a new strategy to prepare robust self-healing hydrogels assisted by a healing layer composed of electrospun cross-linked nanofiber networks containing redox agents. The hydrogels process high healing rate ranging from seconds to days and great mechanical strengths with storage modulus up to 0.1 MPa. More interestingly, when the healing layer is embedded into the crack of the hydrogel, accelerated self-healing is observed and the healing efficiency is about 80%. The healing layer encourages molecular diffusion as well as further cross-linking in the crack region of the hydrogel, responsible for enhanced healing efficiency.

SUBMITTER: Fang Y

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3789405 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Robust self-healing hydrogels assisted by cross-linked nanofiber networks.

Fang Yuan Y Wang Cai-Feng CF Zhang Zhi-Hong ZH Shao Huan H Chen Su S

Scientific reports 20131003

Given increasing environmental and energy issues, mimicking nature to confer synthetic materials with self-healing property to expand their lifespan is highly desirable. Just like human skin recovers itself upon damage with the aid of nutrient-laden blood vascularization, designing smart materials with microvascular network to accelerate self-healing is workable but continues to be a challenge. Here we report a new strategy to prepare robust self-healing hydrogels assisted by a healing layer com ...[more]

PMID: 24091865

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Project description:Natural polymer hydrogels are one of the best biomaterials for soft tissue repair because of their excellent biocompatibility, biodegradability and low immune rejection. However, they lack mechanical strength matching that of natural tissue and desired functionality (e.g. self-healing and 3D-printability). To solve this problem, we developed a host-guest supramolecule (HGSM) with three arms covalently crosslinked with a natural polymer to construct a novel hydrogel with non-covalent bonds integrated in a covalently crosslinked network. The unique structure enabled the hydrogel to bear improved mechanical properties and show both self-healing and 3D printing capabilities. The three-armed HGSM was first prepared via the efficient non-covalent host-guest inclusion interactions between isocyanatoethyl acrylate-modified ?-cyclodextrin (?-CD-AOI2) and acryloylated tetra-ethylene glycol-modified adamantane (A-TEG-Ad). Subsequently, a host-guest supramolecular hydrogel (HGGelMA) was obtained through copolymerization between the arms of HGSM and gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) to form a covalently crosslinked network. The HGGelMA was robust, fatigue resistant, reproducible and rapidly self-healing. In HGGelMA, the covalent crosslinking maintained its overall shape whereas the weak reversible non-covalent host-guest interactions reinforced its mechanical properties and enabled it to rapidly self-heal upon fracturing. The reversible non-covalent interactions could be re-established upon breaking, so as to heal the hydrogel and dissipate energy to prevent catastrophic fracture propagation. Furthermore, the precursors of the HGGelMA were sufficiently viscous and could be rapidly photocrosslinked to produce a robust scaffold with an exquisite internal structure through 3D printing. The 3D-printed HGGelMA hydrogel scaffold was biocompatible, promoted cell adhesion and proliferation, and supported tissue in-growth. Our strategy of integrating non-covalently linked HGSM in a covalently linked hydrogel network represents a new approach to the development of natural polymers into biocompatible hydrogels with improved strength as well as desired self-healing and 3D-printability.

Dataset Information

Robust self-healing hydrogels assisted by cross-linked nanofiber networks.

Publications

Robust self-healing hydrogels assisted by cross-linked nanofiber networks.

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