Highly Stretchable, Self-Healing, Injectable and pH Responsive Hydrogel from Multiple Hydrogen Bonding and Boron-Carbohydrate Interactions

Yi-Yang Peng; Qiuli Cheng; Meng Wu; Wenda Wang; Jianyang Zhao; Diana Diaz-Dussan; Michelle McKay; Hongbo Zeng; Sarute Ummartyotin; Ravin Narain

doi:10.3390/gels9090709

Gels (Sep 2023)

Highly Stretchable, Self-Healing, Injectable and pH Responsive Hydrogel from Multiple Hydrogen Bonding and Boron-Carbohydrate Interactions

Yi-Yang Peng,
Qiuli Cheng,
Meng Wu,
Wenda Wang,
Jianyang Zhao,
Diana Diaz-Dussan,
Michelle McKay,
Hongbo Zeng,
Sarute Ummartyotin,
Ravin Narain

Affiliations

Yi-Yang Peng: Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G6, Canada
Qiuli Cheng: School of Materials Science and Engineering, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang 471023, China
Meng Wu: Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G6, Canada
Wenda Wang: Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G6, Canada
Jianyang Zhao: School of Biomedical Sciences and Engineering Guangzhou International Campus, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 511442, China
Diana Diaz-Dussan: Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G6, Canada
Michelle McKay: Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G6, Canada
Hongbo Zeng: Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G6, Canada
Sarute Ummartyotin: Department of Materials and Textile Technology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Thammasat University, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand
Ravin Narain: Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G6, Canada

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/gels9090709
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 9, no. 9
p. 709

Abstract

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A simple and cost-effective method for the fabrication of a safe, dual-responsive, highly stretchable, self-healing and injectable hydrogel is reported based on a combination of dynamic boronate ester bonds and hydrogen bonding interactions. The mechanical properties of the hydrogel are tunable by adjusting the molar ratios between sugar moieties on the polymer and borax. It was remarkable to note that the 2:1 ratio of sugar and borate ion significantly improves the mechanical strength of the hydrogel. The injectability, self-healing and stretchability properties of the hydrogel were also examined. In addition, the impact of the variation of the pH and the addition of free sugar responsiveness of the hydrogel was studied. High MRC-5 cell viability was noticed by the 3D live/dead assay after 24 h cell culture within the hydrogel scaffold. Hence, the developed hydrogels have desirable features that warrant their applications for drug delivery, scaffolds for cell and tissue engineering.

Published in Gels

ISSN: 2310-2861 (Online)
Publisher: MDPI AG
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Science: Chemistry: Inorganic chemistry; Science: Chemistry: General. Including alchemy
Website: http://www.mdpi.com/journal/gels

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Abstract

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