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Characterizations of the strain-stiffening property and cytotoxicity in the self-assembled polyampholyte hydrogel

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Abstract

Strain-stiffening is a mechanical response that mimics the behavior of biological tissues. In this study, we fabricated and characterized P(TM co SA-CAA) hydrogel. These hydrogels were referred to as SA, 0.75 SA + 0.25 CAA, 0.5 SA + 0.5 CAA, 0.25 SA + 0.75 CAA, and CAA. Scanning electron microscopy of the hydrogel revealed that the nanofibrillar networks were homogeneously and compactly connected. Notably, the addition of SA-CAA led to remarkable improvement (of 260 kPa and over fourfold) in the elastic modulus and elongation at the break point. The best strain-stiffening was observed for the 0.5 SA + 0.5 CAA hydrogel. Additionally, the investigation of P(TM co SA-CAA) hydrogel mechanism viability and proliferation revealed no toxicity. The strain-stiffening property of P(TM co SA-CAA) facilitates the adhesion of cells. These results suggest that the strain-stiffening of self-assembled P(TM co SA-CAA) hydrogels may be appealing for biomedical applications.

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Acknowledgments

The research was supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan [MOST109-2221-E-110-023].

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  1. Department of Mechanical and Electromechanical Engineering, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

    Gustini & Wei-Chih Lin

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  1. Gustini
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Correspondence to Wei-Chih Lin.

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Gustini is currently a Ph.D. student at the National Sun Yat-sen University, Taiwan. Her research interests include development and application in bioengineering and biomedical.

Wei-Chih Lin is currently an Associate Professor with the National Sun Yat-sen University, Taiwan. His Ph.D. is from Cambridge University, UK. His research interests include development and application in bio-engineering, biomedical and agriculture machinery.

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Gustini, Lin, WC. Characterizations of the strain-stiffening property and cytotoxicity in the self-assembled polyampholyte hydrogel. J Mech Sci Technol 36, 2653–2661 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-022-0446-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-022-0446-6

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