Highly Elastic and Conductive Human-Based Protein Hybrid Hydrogels.

Authors :: Annabi N
Shin SR
Tamayol A
Miscuglio M
Bakooshli MA
Assmann A
Mostafalu P
Sun JY
Mithieux S
Cheung L
Tang XS
Weiss AS
Khademhosseini A
Source :: Advanced materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.) [Adv Mater] 2016 Jan 06; Vol. 28 (1), pp. 40-9. Date of Electronic Publication: 2015 Nov 09.
Publication Year :: 2016
Abstract: A highly elastic hybrid hydrogel of methacryloyl-substituted recombinant human tropoelastin (MeTro) and graphene oxide (GO) nanoparticles are developed. The synergistic effect of these two materials significantly enhances both ultimate strain (250%), reversible rotation (9700°), and the fracture energy (38.8 ± 0.8 J m(-2) ) in the hybrid network. Furthermore, improved electrical signal propagation and subsequent contraction of the muscles connected by hybrid hydrogels are observed in ex vivo tests.<br /> (© 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)