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Injectable hydrogels with improved mechanical property based on electrostatic associations

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Abstract

The mechanical properties of injectable and thermo-responsive ABC triblock copolymer hydrogels are enhanced by the electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged moieties introduced in the mid-blocks. The triblock copolymers are composed of biodegradable poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL), hydrophilic cationic or anionic mid-block, and temperature-responsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) with quadruple hydrogen bonding units. PCL blocks and PNIPAM blocks form separate micellar cores, and the mid-blocks make a bridge between the cores. The dynamic nature and thermo-responsiveness of the PNIPAM block primarily endow the temperature- and shear-responsiveness to the hydrogel, and therefore make the hydrogel injectable and self-healable. In particular, the electrostatic attraction introduced in the mid-blocks results in the enhanced mechanical properties of the hydrogels. The dual-responsive hydrogel with the improved moduli will aid in designing soft materials in the field of biological and biomedical applications.

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Funding

This work was supported by the National Creative Research Initiative Program for “Intelligent Hybrids Research Center” (No. 2010-0018290) through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) Grant funded by the Korean Ministry of Science, ICT & Future Planning (MSIP), and the BK21 Plus Program in SNU Chemical Engineering. S.C. also acknowledges the National Research Foundation (NRF) Grant funded by the Korean Government (No. NRF-2016R1C1B3010402 and NRF-2018R1A5A1024127).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The National Creative Research Center for Intelligent Hybrids, School of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Seoul National University, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea

    Jewon Choi & Kookheon Char

  2. School of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Seoul National University, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea

    Jewon Choi, Jiwon Yoon, Kyung Hyun Ahn & Kookheon Char

  3. Institute of Chemical Processes, School of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Seoul National University, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea

    Kyung Hyun Ahn & Kookheon Char

  4. Department of Chemical Engineering, Hongik University, Mapo-gu, Seoul, 04066, Republic of Korea

    Soo-Hyung Choi

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  1. Jewon Choi
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  2. Jiwon Yoon
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Correspondence to Soo-Hyung Choi or Kookheon Char.

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Choi, J., Yoon, J., Ahn, K.H. et al. Injectable hydrogels with improved mechanical property based on electrostatic associations. Colloid Polym Sci 299, 575–584 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00396-020-04726-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00396-020-04726-0

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