Characterization of a Multi-responsive Magnetic Graphene Oxide Nanocomposite Hydrogel and Its Application for DOX Delivery

Nanocomposite hydrogels are one of the most important types of biomaterials which can be used in many different applications such as drug delivery and tissue engineering.Incorporation of nanoparticles within a hydrogel matrix can provide unique characteristics like remote stimulate and improved mechanical strength.In this study,the synthesis of graphene oxide and graphene oxide nanocomposite hydrogel has been studied.Nanocomposite hydrogel was synthesized using carboxymethyl cellulose as a natural base,acrylic acid as a comonomer,graphene oxide as a filler,ammonium persulfate as an initiator,and iron nanoparticles as a crosslinking agent.The effect of reaction variables such as the iron nanoparticles,graphene oxide,ammonium persulfate,and acrylic acid were examined to achieve a hydrogel with maximum absorbency.Doxorubicin,an anti-cancer chemotherapy drug,was loaded into this hydrogel and its release behaviors were examined in the phosphate buffer solutions with different pH values.The structure of the graphene oxide and the optimized hydrogel were confirmed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy,Raman spectroscopy,X-ray diffraction,scanning electron microscopy,and atomic force microscopy.     

Magnetically Aligned Supramolecular Hydrogels

The magnetic‐field‐induced alignment of the fibrillar structures present in an aqueous solution of a dipeptide gelator, and the subsequent retention of this alignment upon transformation to a hydrogel upon the addition of CaCl₂ or upon a reduction in solution pH is reported. Utilising the switchable nature of the magnetic field coupled with the slow diffusion of CaCl₂, it is possible to precisely control the extent of anisotropy across a hydrogel, something that is generally very difficult to do using alternative methods. The approach is readily extended to other compounds that form viscous solutions at high pH. It is expected that this work will greatly expand the utility of such low‐molecular‐weight gelators (LMWG) in areas where alignment is key.     

Mesoporous Silica Particles as Topologically Crosslinking Fillers for Poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) Hydrogels

Here it is demonstrated that mesoporous silicas (MPSs) can be used as effective “topological crosslinkers” for poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPA) hydrogels to improve the mechanical property. Three‐dimensional bicontinuous mesporous silica is found to effectively reinforce the PNIPA hydrogels, as compared to nonporous silica and two‐dimensional hexagonally ordered mesoporous silica.     

羟基磷灰石/聚乙烯醇/壳聚糖水凝胶在模拟体液中的力学性能

从仿生学角度出发,将自制的人工角膜支架材料羟基磷灰石/聚乙烯醇/壳聚糖(n-HA/PVA/CS)浸泡在模拟体液中,对材料的含水率及力学性能进行了测试,并利用扫描电镜、X射线衍射仪、电感耦合等离子体原子发射光谱仪及热重分析仪研究了材料在模拟体液中的形貌、晶体结构、元素组成及热稳定性.结果表明,在模拟体液中,n-HA/PVA/CS复合水凝胶的含水率为80%~86%,具有较高的拉伸强度,能承受正常眼压,且热稳定性较好.在浸泡后期,n-HA/CS/PVA复合材料对Ca2+的吸附和释放达到动态平衡;而其表面含有微量的纳米羟基磷灰石沉积,有利于纤维细胞的长入.     

可拉伸超韧水凝胶的制备和应用

综述了可拉伸超韧水凝胶的设计原理及其在组织工程和柔性电子器件领域的应用. 通过将网络结构层次、 化学结构、 增韧机制与宏观力学性能相结合, 重点讨论了单网络水凝胶、 双网络水凝胶、 纳米复合水凝胶及其它水凝胶等可拉伸超韧水凝胶的研究进展, 并总结和展望了新思路和新方向.     

Post-Assembly Photomasking of Potassium Acyltrifluoroborates (KATs) for Two-Photon 3D Patterning of PEG-Hydrogels

Chemical ligation reactions of functional groups that can be masked with two-photon labile protecting groups provide a powerful technology for the three-dimensional patterning of molecules – including proteins – onto hydrogel scaffolds. In order to utilize readily prepared hydrogels constructed by the potassium acyltrifluoroborate (KAT)-hydroxylamine amide formation ligation for two-photon patterning, we have developed a unique post-polymerization protecting group strategy through the reaction of KATs and dithiols in water and deprotection by two-photon excitation. After precise 3D spatially confined light irradiation, the unprotected KATs undergo ligations with hydroxylamine-functionalized superfolder GFP and sulforhodamine B for the composition of three-dimensional patterns.     

One-step synthesis of monodispersed Pt nanoparticles anchored on 3D graphene foams and its application for electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution

Although platinum-based materials are regarded as the state-of-the-art electro-catalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction(HER),high cost and quantity scarcity hamper their scale-up utilization in industrial deployment.Herein,a one-step strategy was developed to synthesize multi-walled carbon nanotubes and reduced graphene oxide supported Pt nanoparticle hydrogel(PtNP/rGO-MWCNT),in which only ascorbic acid was used as the reductant for one-pot reduction of both GO and chloroplatinic acid.The hydrogel can be directly used as a flexible binder-free catalytic electrode to achieve high performance of HER.Compared to conventional strategies,the current strategy not only significantly reduces the Pt loading to 3.48 wt%,simplifies the synthesis process,but also eliminates the use of any polymer binders,thus decreasing the series resistance and improving catalytic activity.An overpotential of only 11 mV was achieved on as-prepared PtNP/rGO-MWCNT to drive a geometrical current density of 10 mA/cm2 in0.5 mol/L H2 SO4,with its catalytic activity being kept over 15 h.In acidic medium,the HER activity of the PtNP/rGO-MWCNT catalyst exceeds most of the reported Pt-based electro-catalysts and is 3-fold higher than that obtained on commercial Pt/C electrode.     

The Optimization of a Novel Hydrogel—Egg White-Alginate for 2.5D Tissue Engineering of Salivary Spheroid-Like Structure

Hydrogels have been used for a variety of biomedical applications; in tissue engineering, they are commonly used as scaffolds to cultivate cells in a three-dimensional (3D) environment allowing the formation of organoids or cellular spheroids. Egg white-alginate (EWA) is a novel hydrogel which combines the advantages of both egg white and alginate; the egg white material provides extracellular matrix (ECM)-like proteins that can mimic the ECM microenvironment, while alginate can be tuned mechanically through its ionic crosslinking property to modify the scaffold’s porosity, strength, and stiffness. In this study, a frozen calcium chloride (CaCl₂) disk technique to homogenously crosslink alginate and egg white hydrogel is presented for 2.5D culture of human salivary cells. Different EWA formulations were prepared and biologically evaluated as a spheroid-like structure platform. Although all five EWA hydrogels showed biocompatibility, the EWA with 1.5% alginate presented the highest cell viability, while EWA with 3% alginate promoted the formation of larger size salivary spheroid-like structures. Our EWA hydrogel has the potential to be an alternative 3D culture scaffold that can be used for studies on drug-screening, cell migration, or as an in vitro disease model. In addition, EWA can be used as a potential source for cell transplantation (i.e., using this platform as an ex vivo environment for cell expansion). The low cost of producing EWA is an added advantage.     

Additive‐Free Green Light‐Induced Ligation Using BODIPY Triggers

Photochemical ligation is important in biomaterials engineering for spatiotemporal control of biochemical processes. Such reactions however generally require activation by high energy UV or short wavelength blue light, which can limit their use as a consequence of the potential of these high energy light sources to damage living cells. Herein, we present an additive‐free, biocompatible, chemical ligation triggered by mild visible light. BODIPY dyes with a pendant thioether attached at the meso‐position undergo photolysis of the [C?S] bond under green light (λ=530 nm) excitation, producing an ion pair intermediate that can react specifically with a propiolate group. The utility of this photochemical ligation in materials science is demonstrated by the fabrication of hydrogels with specific architectures, photo‐immobilization of biomacromolecules, and live cell encapsulation within a hydrogel scaffold.     

Evaluation of 3D Printed Gelatin‐Based Scaffolds with Varying Pore Size for MSC‐Based Adipose Tissue Engineering

Adipose tissue engineering aims to provide solutions to patients who require tissue reconstruction following mastectomies or other soft tissue trauma. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) robustly differentiate into the adipogenic lineage and are attractive candidates for adipose tissue engineering. This work investigates whether pore size modulates adipogenic differentiation of MSCs toward identifying optimal scaffold pore size and whether pore size modulates spatial infiltration of adipogenically differentiated cells. To assess this, extrusion‐based 3D printing is used to fabricate photo‐crosslinkable gelatin‐based scaffolds with pore sizes in the range of 200–600 µm. The adipogenic differentiation of MSCs seeded onto these scaffolds is evaluated and robust lipid droplet formation is observed across all scaffold groups as early as after day 6 of culture. Expression of adipogenic genes on scaffolds increases significantly over time, compared to TCP controls. Furthermore, it is found that the spatial distribution of cells is dependent on the scaffold pore size, with larger pores leading to a more uniform spatial distribution of adipogenically differentiated cells. Overall, these data provide first insights into the role of scaffold pore size on MSC‐based adipogenic differentiation and contribute toward the rational design of biomaterials for adipose tissue engineering in 3D volumetric spaces.