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Zhang Y, Luo Y, Gao S, Zou L, Guan Y, Zhang Y. Liquid crystalline composite hydrogels with large pH-triggered anisotropic swelling for embolotherapy. Acta Biomater 2024; 174:206-216. [PMID: 38101558 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2023.12.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
Inspired by the anisotropic structure of biological tissues, anisotropic hydrogels have been developed using various nanofillers, however, it remains a big challenge to synthesize hydrogels with large swelling anisotropy. Herein a single molecule filler, α-helical polypeptide, instead of nanoscale fillers, was used to synthesize anisotropic hydrogels. First nematic liquid crystal of poly(γ-benzyl l-glutamate) (PBLG) was prepared by shearing and stabilized by embedding in a crosslinked polymer matrix. The resulting PBLG composite gels were then converted to poly(L-glutamic acid) (PLGA) composite gels by debenzylation. The rigid rod-like structure of α-helical PBLG chains makes them easy to be orientated. The pH-sensitivity of PLGA makes the resulting composite gels pH-sensitive without the need to couple with a stimuli-responsive hydrogel matrix. In response to pH change PLGA composite gels swell anisotropically with a much larger swelling degree in the radial direction than in the axial direction. The swelling anisotropy (3.43) is much higher than most anisotropic hydrogels, particularly the stimuli-responsive ones reported previously. The composite gel also exhibits anisotropic mechanical properties with a larger Young's modulus in the axial direction than that in the radial direction. Preliminary test demonstrated that the composite gels have potential in embolotherapy thanks to its large pH-triggered anisotropic swelling. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Anisotropic hydrogels have important biomedical applications. Introduction of oriented nanofillers has been demonstrated a popular and versatile method for their synthesis, however, it remains a big challenge to achieve large swelling anisotropy. Herein a single molecule filler, α-helical polypeptide, instead of nanoscale fillers, was used to synthesize anisotropic hydrogels. This filler can be easily oriented by shearing. More importantly, as single molecule filler, it can constrain the swelling of hydrogel matrix more effectively. Using this filler, a pH-sensitive hydrogel with large swelling anisotropy (3.43) was successfully synthesized. Thanks to its large pH-triggered anisotropic swelling the hydrogel was successfully used as embolic agent to occlude vessels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yujie Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Separation Membranes and Membrane Processes, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tiangong University, Tianjin 300387, China
| | - Ying Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Separation Membranes and Membrane Processes, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tiangong University, Tianjin 300387, China
| | - Sijia Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Separation Membranes and Membrane Processes, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tiangong University, Tianjin 300387, China
| | - Lei Zou
- State Key Laboratory of Separation Membranes and Membrane Processes, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tiangong University, Tianjin 300387, China
| | - Ying Guan
- Institute of Polymer Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China.
| | - Yongjun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Separation Membranes and Membrane Processes, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tiangong University, Tianjin 300387, China; Cangzhou Institute of Tiangong University, Cangzhou 061000, China.
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2
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Abstract
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Understanding
the
hydrodynamic alignment of colloidal rods in polymer
solutions is pivotal for manufacturing structurally ordered materials.
How polymer crowding influences the flow-induced alignment of suspended
colloidal rods remains unclear when rods and polymers share similar
length scales. We tackle this problem by analyzing the alignment of
colloidal rods suspended in crowded polymer solutions and comparing
that to the case where crowding is provided by additional colloidal
rods in a pure solvent. We find that the polymer dynamics govern the
onset of shear-induced alignment of colloidal rods suspended in polymer
solutions, and the control parameter for the alignment of rods is
the Weissenberg number, quantifying the elastic response of the polymer
to an imposed flow. Moreover, we show that the increasing colloidal
alignment with the shear rate follows a universal trend that is independent
of the surrounding crowding environment. Our results indicate that
colloidal rod alignment in polymer solutions can be predicted on the
basis of the critical shear rate at which polymer coils are deformed
by the flow, aiding the synthesis and design of anisotropic materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincenzo Calabrese
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Onna-son, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan
| | - Stylianos Varchanis
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Onna-son, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan
| | - Simon J. Haward
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Onna-son, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan
| | - Amy Q. Shen
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Onna-son, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan
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3
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Liu L, Tanguy NR, Yan N, Wu Y, Liu X, Qing Y. Anisotropic cellulose nanocrystal hydrogel with multi-stimuli response to temperature and mechanical stress. Carbohydr Polym 2022; 280:119005. [PMID: 35027120 DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2021.119005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2021] [Revised: 11/27/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Conventional hydrogels with isotropic polymer networks usually lack selective response to external stimuli and that limits their applications in intelligent devices. Herein, hydrogels with distinctive anisotropic optical characteristics combined with thermosensitivity were prepared through in situ photopolymerization. Self-assembled cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) with chiral nematic ordered structure were embedded in polyethylene glycol derivatives/polyacrylamide polymer networks. The arrangement of CNCs showed a strong dependence on the self-assembly angle and standing time, enabling the fabrication of hydrogels with customizable CNCs arrangements. Increasing the self-assembly angle from 0° to 90° changed the CNCs arrangement from chiral nematic to symmetrical nematic order which, together with CNCs dynamic arrangement from isotropic to annealed chiral nematic phase at longer standing time, provided versatile ways to produce CNCs hydrogels with tunable anisotropic properties. In addition, the obtained hydrogel displayed reversible temperature and compression response, showing excellent promise to be used as soft mechanical stress and temperature sensors or novel anti-counterfeiting materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liu Liu
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3B3, Canada; School of Materials Science and Technology, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha, Hunan 410004, PR China
| | - Nicolas R Tanguy
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3B3, Canada
| | - Ning Yan
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3B3, Canada.
| | - Yiqiang Wu
- School of Materials Science and Technology, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha, Hunan 410004, PR China.
| | - Xiubo Liu
- School of Materials Science and Technology, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha, Hunan 410004, PR China; Hunan Province Key Laboratory of Materials Surface and Interface Science and Technology, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha, Hunan 410004, PR China
| | - Yan Qing
- School of Materials Science and Technology, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha, Hunan 410004, PR China
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4
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Lee SR, Reichmanis E, Srinivasarao M. Anisotropic Responsive Microgels Based on the Cholesteric Phase of Chitin Nanocrystals. ACS Macro Lett 2022; 11:96-102. [PMID: 35574788 DOI: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.1c00675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Anisotropic stimuli-responsive microgels based upon the cholesteric phase of chitin nanocrystals and N-isopropylacrylamide were designed and synthesized. The cholesteric structure was interrogated, and the texture was shown to directly influence the microgel shape and anisotropy. Changes in the microgel volume led to changes in the texture, where microgels comprising up to six bands exhibited a twisted bipolar texture, while those with greater volumes displayed a concentric-packing structure. As designed, the imprinted cholesteric phase induced an asymmetric response to temperature, leading to a change in shape and optical properties. Furthermore, the cholesteric structure is able to deform, facilitating transport into a small channel. Access to synthetic structures having a self-assembled twisted texture derived from cholesterics embedded within a polymer matrix will provide guidelines for designing biopolymer composites with programmable motion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sujin R. Lee
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Elsa Reichmanis
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18015, United States
| | - Mohan Srinivasarao
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
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5
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Yan G, He S, Chen G, Tang X, Sun Y, Xu F, Zeng X, Lin L. Anisotropic, strong, self-adhesive and strain-sensitive hydrogels enabled by magnetically-oriented cellulose/polydopamine nanocomposites. Carbohydr Polym 2022; 276:118783. [PMID: 34823795 DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2021.118783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2021] [Revised: 10/10/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Recently, great efforts have been devoted to developing conductive adhesive hydrogels to meet the needs of various applications. However, grand challenges remain in achieving anisotropic hydrogels simultaneously featuring multiple properties using natural polymers and renewable resources. Here, a cellulose-based conductive hydrogel with strong, ultrastretchable, and adhesive properties is prepared via a simple magnetic field-induced strategy. This strategy involves the formation of a suspension mixture with well-oriented cellulose-polydopamine nanocomposites under magnetic fields, followed by rapid orientation via covalent crosslinking. The tensile strength of the oriented hydrogel in longitudinal direction is ~0.22 MPa, which is ~1.4 times higher than that in radial direction. Moreover, the hydrogel shows good cyclic loading-unloading ability, high conductivity (6.9 ± 0.6 S m-1), and strong adhesion (71 kPa). The hydrogel also shows significant anisotropic properties and made it a versatile platform for wearable sensors to monitor large and subtle human motion in the foreseeable future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guihua Yan
- College of Energy, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, PR China
| | - Shuaiming He
- State Key Laboratory of Pulp and Paper-making Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, PR China
| | - Gaofeng Chen
- College of Energy, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, PR China
| | - Xing Tang
- College of Energy, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, PR China
| | - Yong Sun
- College of Energy, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, PR China
| | - Feng Xu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Lignocellulosic Chemistry, Beijing Forestry University, No. 35, Tsinghua East Road, Haidian, Beijing 100083, PR China
| | - Xianhai Zeng
- College of Energy, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, PR China.
| | - Lu Lin
- College of Energy, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, PR China.
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6
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Wang Y, Zheng X, Zhong W, Ye Z, Wang X, Dong Z, Zhang Z. Multicomponent chiral hydrogel fibers with block configurations based on the chiral liquid crystals of cellulose nanocrystals and M13 bacteriophages. Polym Chem 2022. [DOI: 10.1039/d2py00965j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Integrating the advantages unique to CNCs and the M13 virus into blockwise chiral hydrogel fibers, which have block dependent chiral fingerprints, birefringence, (de)swelling behaviors, mechanical strength and stretchability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuhan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials of Ministry of Education, Institute of Polymer Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, 300071 Tianjin, China
| | - Xiaonan Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials of Ministry of Education, Institute of Polymer Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, 300071 Tianjin, China
| | - Weiting Zhong
- Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials of Ministry of Education, Institute of Polymer Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, 300071 Tianjin, China
| | - Zihan Ye
- Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials of Ministry of Education, Institute of Polymer Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, 300071 Tianjin, China
| | - Xinzhi Wang
- Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials of Ministry of Education, Institute of Polymer Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, 300071 Tianjin, China
| | - Ziyue Dong
- Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials of Ministry of Education, Institute of Polymer Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, 300071 Tianjin, China
| | - Zhenkun Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials of Ministry of Education, Institute of Polymer Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, 300071 Tianjin, China
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7
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Liu K, Han L, Tang P, Yang K, Gan D, Wang X, Wang K, Ren F, Fang L, Xu Y, Lu Z, Lu X. An Anisotropic Hydrogel Based on Mussel-Inspired Conductive Ferrofluid Composed of Electromagnetic Nanohybrids. NANO LETTERS 2019; 19:8343-8356. [PMID: 31659907 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.9b00363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Anisotropic hydrogels with a hierarchical structure can mimic biological tissues, such as neurons or muscles that show directional functions, which are important factors for signal transduction and cell guidance. Here, we report a mussel-inspired approach to fabricate an anisotropic hydrogel based on a conductive ferrofluid. First, polydopamine (PDA) was used to mediate the formation of PDA-chelated carbon nanotube-Fe3O4 (PFeCNT) nanohybrids and also used as a dispersion medium to stabilize the nanohybrids to form a conductive ferrofluid. The ferrofluid can respond to an orientated magnetic field and be programed to form aligned structures, which were then frozen in a hydrogel network formed via in situ free-radical polymerization and gelation. The resulted hydrogel shows directional conductive and mechanical properties, mimicking an oriented biological tissue. Under external electrical stimulation, the orientated PFeCNT nanohybrids can be sensed by the myoblasts cultured on the hydrogel, resulting in the oriented growth of cells. In summary, the mussel-inspired anisotropic hydrogel with its aligned structural complexity and anisotropic properties together with the cell affinity and tissue adhesiveness is a potent multifunctional biomaterial for mimicking oriented tissues to guide cell proliferation and tissue regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kezhi Liu
- Key Lab of Advanced Technologies of Materials, Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering , Southwest Jiaotong University , Chengdu , Sichuan 610031 , China
| | - Lu Han
- Key Lab of Advanced Technologies of Materials, Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering , Southwest Jiaotong University , Chengdu , Sichuan 610031 , China
| | - Pengfei Tang
- Key Lab of Advanced Technologies of Materials, Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering , Southwest Jiaotong University , Chengdu , Sichuan 610031 , China
| | - Kaiming Yang
- Key Lab of Advanced Technologies of Materials, Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering , Southwest Jiaotong University , Chengdu , Sichuan 610031 , China
| | - Donglin Gan
- Key Lab of Advanced Technologies of Materials, Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering , Southwest Jiaotong University , Chengdu , Sichuan 610031 , China
| | - Xiao Wang
- Key Lab of Advanced Technologies of Materials, Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering , Southwest Jiaotong University , Chengdu , Sichuan 610031 , China
| | - Kefeng Wang
- National Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials , Research Center for Materials Genome Engineering , Chengdu , Sichuan 610064 , China
| | - Fuzeng Ren
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering , Southern University of Science and Technology , Shenzhen , Guangdong 518055 , China
| | - Liming Fang
- Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, School of Materials Science and Engineering , South China University of Technology , Guangzhou 510641 , China
| | - Yonggang Xu
- Key Lab of Advanced Technologies of Materials, Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering , Southwest Jiaotong University , Chengdu , Sichuan 610031 , China
| | | | - Xiong Lu
- Key Lab of Advanced Technologies of Materials, Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering , Southwest Jiaotong University , Chengdu , Sichuan 610031 , China
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8
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High-strength and self-recoverable silk fibroin cryogels with anisotropic swelling and mechanical properties. Int J Biol Macromol 2019; 122:1279-1289. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2018.09.087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2018] [Revised: 09/01/2018] [Accepted: 09/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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Zhi X, Zheng C, Xiong J, Li J, Zhao C, Shi L, Zhang Z. Nanofilamentous Virus-Based Dynamic Hydrogels with Tunable Internal Structures, Injectability, Self-Healing, and Sugar Responsiveness at Physiological pH. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2018; 34:12914-12923. [PMID: 30298737 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.8b02526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
With expanding applications of hydrogels in diverse fields ranging from biomaterials to sensors, actuators, and soft robotics, there is an urgent need to endow one single gel with multiple physicochemical properties, such as stimuli-responsiveness, injectability, self-healing, and tunable internal structures. However, it is challenging to simultaneously incorporate these highly sought-after properties into one single gel. Herein, a conceptual hydrogel system with all of these properties is presented via combining bioconjugate chemistry, filamentous viruses, and dynamic covalent bonds. Nanofilamentous bioconjugates with diol affinity were prepared by coupling a tailor-synthesized low-p Ka phenylboronic acid (PBA) derivative to a well-defined green nanofiber the M13 virus with a high aspect ratio (PBA-M13). Dynamic hydrogels with tunable mechanical strength were prepared by using multiple diol-containing agents such as poly(vinyl alcohol) to cross-link such PBA-M13 via the classic boronic-diol dynamic bonds. The as-prepared hydrogels exhibit excellent injectability and self-healing behaviors as well as easy chemical accessibility of the PBA moieties on the virus backbone inside the gel matrix. Ordered internal structures were imparted into virus-based hydrogels by simple shear-induced alignment of the virus nanofibers. Furthermore, unique hydrogels with chiral internal structures were fabricated through in situ gelation induced by diffusion of diol-containing molecules to fix the chiral liquid crystal phase of the PBA-M13 virus. Sugar responsiveness of this gel leads to a glucose-regulated release behavior of payloads such as insulin. All of these properties have been implemented at physiological pH, which will facilitate future applications of these hydrogels as biomaterials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueli Zhi
- Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials of Ministry of Education, Institute of Polymer Chemistry, College of Chemistry , Nankai University , Tianjin 300071 , China
| | - Chunxiong Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials of Ministry of Education, Institute of Polymer Chemistry, College of Chemistry , Nankai University , Tianjin 300071 , China
| | - Jie Xiong
- Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials of Ministry of Education, Institute of Polymer Chemistry, College of Chemistry , Nankai University , Tianjin 300071 , China
| | - Jianyao Li
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology , Tianjin University , Tianjin 300072 , China
| | - Chenxi Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials of Ministry of Education, Institute of Polymer Chemistry, College of Chemistry , Nankai University , Tianjin 300071 , China
| | - Linqi Shi
- Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials of Ministry of Education, Institute of Polymer Chemistry, College of Chemistry , Nankai University , Tianjin 300071 , China
| | - Zhenkun Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials of Ministry of Education, Institute of Polymer Chemistry, College of Chemistry , Nankai University , Tianjin 300071 , China
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10
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Sada K. Lipophilic Polyelectrolyte Gels and Crystal Crosslinking, New Methods for Supramolecular Control of Swelling and Collapsing of Polymer Gels. BULLETIN OF THE CHEMICAL SOCIETY OF JAPAN 2018. [DOI: 10.1246/bcsj.20180096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kazuki Sada
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Kita 10, Nishi 8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0810, Japan
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11
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Petrescu DS, Blum AS. Viral-based nanomaterials for plasmonic and photonic materials and devices. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-NANOMEDICINE AND NANOBIOTECHNOLOGY 2018; 10:e1508. [PMID: 29418076 DOI: 10.1002/wnan.1508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2017] [Revised: 10/18/2017] [Accepted: 12/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Over the last decade, viruses have established themselves as a powerful tool in nanotechnology. Their proteinaceous capsids benefit from biocompatibility, chemical addressability, and a variety of sizes and geometries, while their ability to encapsulate, scaffold, and self-assemble enables their use for a wide array of purposes. Moreover, the scaling up of viral-based nanotechnologies is facilitated by high capsid production yield and speed, which is particularly advantageous when compared with slower and costlier lithographic techniques. These features enable the bottom-up fabrication of photonic and plasmonic materials, which relies on the precise arrangement of photoactive material at the nanoscale to control phenomena such as electromagnetic wave propagation and energy transfer. The interdisciplinary approach required for the fabrication of such materials combines techniques from the life sciences and device engineering, thus promoting innovative research. Materials with applications spanning the fields of sensing (biological, chemical, and physical sensors), nanomedicine (cellular imaging, drug delivery, phototherapy), energy transfer and conversion (solar cells, light harvesting, photocatalysis), metamaterials (negative refraction, artificial magnetism, near-field amplification), and nanoparticle synthesis are considered with exclusive emphasis on viral capsids and protein cages. This article is categorized under: Biology-Inspired Nanomaterials > Protein and Virus-Based Structures.
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12
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Zhao Z, Fang R, Rong Q, Liu M. Bioinspired Nanocomposite Hydrogels with Highly Ordered Structures. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2017; 29:1703045. [PMID: 29059482 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201703045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 170] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2017] [Revised: 07/06/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
In the human body, many soft tissues with hierarchically ordered composite structures, such as cartilage, skeletal muscle, the corneas, and blood vessels, exhibit highly anisotropic mechanical strength and functionality to adapt to complex environments. In artificial soft materials, hydrogels are analogous to these biological soft tissues due to their "soft and wet" properties, their biocompatibility, and their elastic performance. However, conventional hydrogel materials with unordered homogeneous structures inevitably lack high mechanical properties and anisotropic functional performances; thus, their further application is limited. Inspired by biological soft tissues with well-ordered structures, researchers have increasingly investigated highly ordered nanocomposite hydrogels as functional biological engineering soft materials with unique mechanical, optical, and biological properties. These hydrogels incorporate long-range ordered nanocomposite structures within hydrogel network matrixes. Here, the critical design criteria and the state-of-the-art fabrication strategies of nanocomposite hydrogels with highly ordered structures are systemically reviewed. Then, recent progress in applications in the fields of soft actuators, tissue engineering, and sensors is highlighted. The future development and prospective application of highly ordered nanocomposite hydrogels are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziguang Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Inspired Smart Interfacial Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, P. R. China
| | - Ruochen Fang
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Inspired Smart Interfacial Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, P. R. China
| | - Qinfeng Rong
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Inspired Smart Interfacial Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, P. R. China
| | - Mingjie Liu
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Inspired Smart Interfacial Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, P. R. China
- International Research Institute for Multidisciplinary Science, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, P. R. China
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13
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De France KJ, Yager KG, Chan KJW, Corbett B, Cranston ED, Hoare T. Injectable Anisotropic Nanocomposite Hydrogels Direct in Situ Growth and Alignment of Myotubes. NANO LETTERS 2017; 17:6487-6495. [PMID: 28956933 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.7b03600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
While injectable in situ cross-linking hydrogels have attracted increasing attention as minimally invasive tissue scaffolds and controlled delivery systems, their inherently disorganized and isotropic network structure limits their utility in engineering oriented biological tissues. Traditional methods to prepare anisotropic hydrogels are not easily translatable to injectable systems given the need for external equipment to direct anisotropic gel fabrication and/or the required use of temperatures or solvents incompatible with biological systems. Herein, we report a new class of injectable nanocomposite hydrogels based on hydrazone cross-linked poly(oligoethylene glycol methacrylate) and magnetically aligned cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) capable of encapsulating skeletal muscle myoblasts and promoting their differentiation into highly oriented myotubes in situ. CNC alignment occurs on the same time scale as network gelation and remains fixed after the removal of the magnetic field, enabling concurrent CNC orientation and hydrogel injection. The aligned hydrogels show mechanical and swelling profiles that can be rationally modulated by the degree of CNC alignment and can direct myotube alignment both in two- and three-dimensions following coinjection of the myoblasts with the gel precursor components. As such, these hydrogels represent a critical advancement in anisotropic biomimetic scaffolds that can be generated noninvasively in vivo following simple injection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin J De France
- Department of Chemical Engineering, McMaster University , 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4L8, Canada
| | - Kevin G Yager
- Center for Functional Nanomaterials, Brookhaven National Laboratory , Upton, New York 11973, United States
| | - Katelyn J W Chan
- Department of Chemical Engineering, McMaster University , 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4L8, Canada
| | - Brandon Corbett
- Department of Chemical Engineering, McMaster University , 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4L8, Canada
| | - Emily D Cranston
- Department of Chemical Engineering, McMaster University , 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4L8, Canada
| | - Todd Hoare
- Department of Chemical Engineering, McMaster University , 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4L8, Canada
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14
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15
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Yue Y. Self-Assembled Liquid-Crystalline Membranes Form Supramolecular Hydrogels via Hydrogen Bonding. Macromol Rapid Commun 2017; 38. [PMID: 28207179 DOI: 10.1002/marc.201600762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Developing simple methods to organize nanoscale building blocks into ordered superstructures is a crucial step toward the practical development of nanotechnology. Bottom-up nanotechnology using self-assembly bridges the molecular and macroscopic, and can provide unique material properties, different from the isotropic characteristics of common substances. In this study, a new class of supramolecular hydrogels comprising 40 nm thick linear polymer layers sandwiched between nanolayers of self-assembled amphiphilic molecules are prepared and studied by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, scanning electronic microscopy, small angle X-ray diffraction, and rheometry. The amphiphilic molecules spontaneously self-assemble into bilayer membranes when they are in liquid-crystal state. The hydrogen bonds at the interface of the nanolayers and linear polymers serve as junctions to stabilize the network. These hydrogels with layered structure are facile to prepare, mechanically stable, and with unique temperature-dependent optical transparency, which makes it interesting in applications, such as soft biological membranes, drug release, and optical filters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youfeng Yue
- Electronics and Photonics Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 1-1-1 Higashi, 305-8565, Tsukuba, Japan
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Ishiwata T, Kokado K, Sada K. Anisotropically Swelling Gels Attained through Axis-Dependent Crosslinking of MOF Crystals. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201611338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Takumi Ishiwata
- Graduate School of Chemical Sciences and Engineering; Hokkaido University; Kita10 Nishi8, Kita-ku Sapporo Hokkaido 060-0810 Japan
| | - Kenta Kokado
- Graduate School of Chemical Sciences and Engineering; Hokkaido University; Kita10 Nishi8, Kita-ku Sapporo Hokkaido 060-0810 Japan
- Faculty of Science; Hokkaido University; Japan
| | - Kazuki Sada
- Graduate School of Chemical Sciences and Engineering; Hokkaido University; Kita10 Nishi8, Kita-ku Sapporo Hokkaido 060-0810 Japan
- Faculty of Science; Hokkaido University; Japan
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17
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Ishiwata T, Kokado K, Sada K. Anisotropically Swelling Gels Attained through Axis-Dependent Crosslinking of MOF Crystals. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2017; 56:2608-2612. [DOI: 10.1002/anie.201611338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2016] [Revised: 12/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Takumi Ishiwata
- Graduate School of Chemical Sciences and Engineering; Hokkaido University; Kita10 Nishi8, Kita-ku Sapporo Hokkaido 060-0810 Japan
| | - Kenta Kokado
- Graduate School of Chemical Sciences and Engineering; Hokkaido University; Kita10 Nishi8, Kita-ku Sapporo Hokkaido 060-0810 Japan
- Faculty of Science; Hokkaido University; Japan
| | - Kazuki Sada
- Graduate School of Chemical Sciences and Engineering; Hokkaido University; Kita10 Nishi8, Kita-ku Sapporo Hokkaido 060-0810 Japan
- Faculty of Science; Hokkaido University; Japan
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18
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Lin XY, Wang ZJ, Pan P, Wu ZL, Zheng Q. Monodomain hydrogels prepared by shear-induced orientation and subsequent gelation. RSC Adv 2016. [DOI: 10.1039/c6ra17103f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Shear-induced orientation of liquid crystalline hydroxypropylcellulose solution with reactants is frozen by subsequent polymerization and gelation process, resulting in monodomain hydrogel with anisotropic optical, swelling, and mechanical properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Ying Lin
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization
- Department of Polymer Science and Engineering
- Zhejiang University
- Hangzhou 310027
- China
| | - Zhi Jian Wang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization
- Department of Polymer Science and Engineering
- Zhejiang University
- Hangzhou 310027
- China
| | - Pengju Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering
- College of Chemical and Biological Engineering
- Zhejiang University
- Hangzhou 310027
- China
| | - Zi Liang Wu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization
- Department of Polymer Science and Engineering
- Zhejiang University
- Hangzhou 310027
- China
| | - Qiang Zheng
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization
- Department of Polymer Science and Engineering
- Zhejiang University
- Hangzhou 310027
- China
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