1. Tough and Self-Recoverable Thin Hydrogel Membranes for Biological Applications
- Author
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Shinya Tanaka, Hui Jie Zhang, Takayuki Kurokawa, Riku Takahashi, Kunpeng Cui, Takayuki Nonoyama, Martin Frauenlob, Masumi Tsuda, Tao Lin Sun, Jian Ping Gong, Ya Nan Ye, Tasuku Nakajima, and Lei Wang
- Subjects
Materials science ,Nanotechnology ,02 engineering and technology ,010402 general chemistry ,021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology ,Condensed Matter Physics ,01 natural sciences ,Biological membrane ,0104 chemical sciences ,Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials ,Biomaterials ,Electrochemistry ,Hydrogel membrane ,Self-recovery ,Biocompatibility ,Anti-adhesive membrane ,Tough and thin hydrogel membrane ,0210 nano-technology - Abstract
Tough and self‐recoverable hydrogel membranes with micrometer‐scale thickness are promising for biomedical applications, which, however, rarely be realized due to the intrinsic brittleness of hydrogels. In this work, for the first time, by combing noncovalent DN strategy and spin‐coating method, we successfully fabricated thin (thickness: 5–100 µm), yet tough (work of extension at fracture: 105–107 J m−3) and 100% self‐recoverable hydrogel membranes with high water content (62–97 wt%) in large size (≈100 cm2). Amphiphilic triblock copolymers, which form physical gels by self‐assembly, were used for the first network. Linear polymers that physically associate with the hydrophilic midblocks of the first network, were chosen for the second network. The inter‐network associations serve as reversible sacrificial bonds that impart toughness and self‐recovery properties on the hydrogel membranes. The excellent mechanical properties of these obtained tough and thin gel membranes are comparable, or even superior to many biological membranes. The in vitro and in vivo tests show that these hydrogel membranes are biocompatible, and postoperative nonadhesive to neighboring organs. The excellent mechanical and biocompatible properties make these thin hydrogel membranes potentially suitable for use as biological or postoperative antiadhesive membranes.
- Published
- 2018