University of Sydney – Hydrogel−Solid Hybrid Materials for Biomedical Applications Enabled by Surface‐Embedded Radicals

Abstract

Combinations of hydrogels and solids present excessive diploma performance for gadgets similar to tissue engineering scaffolds and subtle machines. Alternatively, the faded bonding between hydrogels and solids hampers performance. Here, a flexible design to fabricate mechanically sturdy exact−hydrogel hybrid materials the utilize of surface embedded radicals generated through plasma immersion ion implantation (PIII) of polymeric surfaces is reported. Evidence is supplied that the reactive radicals play a dual role: inducing surface‐initiated, spontaneous polymerization of hydrogels; and binding the hydrogels to the surfaces. Acrylamide and silk hydrogels are fashioned and covalently linked through spontaneous reactions with the radicals on PIII activated polymer surfaces with out atrocious‐linking agents or initiators. The hydrogel quantity will improve with incubation time, monomer concentration, and temperature. Stability tests demonstrate that 95% of the hydrogel is retained even after 4 months in PBS acknowledge. T‐peel tests screen that failure happens at the tape−hydrogel interface and the hydrogel‐PIII‐handled PTFE interfacial adhesion energy is over 300 N m⁻¹. Cell assays screen no adhesion to the as‐synthesized hydrogels; on the other hand, hydrogels synthesized with fibronectin allow cell adhesion and spreading. These outcomes screen that polymers functionalized with surface‐embedded radicals present very excellent exact platforms for the generation of sturdy exact−hydrogel hybrid buildings for biomedical applications.