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Tissue‐Adaptive Materials with Independently Regulated Modulus and Transition Temperature
Author(s) -
Zhang Daixuan,
Dashtimoghadam Erfan,
Fahimipour Farahnaz,
Hu Xiaobo,
Li Qiaoxi,
Bersenev Egor A.,
Ivanov Dimitri A.,
VatankhahVarnoosfaderani Mohammad,
Sheiko Sergei S.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
advanced materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 10.707
H-Index - 527
eISSN - 1521-4095
pISSN - 0935-9648
DOI - 10.1002/adma.202005314
Subject(s) - materials science , modulus , polymer , softening point , softening , flexibility (engineering) , composite material , biocompatibility , drop (telecommunication) , transition temperature , biomedical engineering , nanotechnology , mechanical engineering , condensed matter physics , medicine , statistics , superconductivity , mathematics , physics , engineering , metallurgy
The ability of living species to transition between rigid and flexible shapes represents one of their survival mechanisms, which has been adopted by various human technologies. Such transition is especially desired in medical devices as rigidity facilitates the implantation process, while flexibility and softness favor biocompatibility with surrounding tissue. Traditional thermoplastics cannot match soft tissue mechanics, while gels leach into the body and alter their properties over time. Here, a single‐component system with an unprecedented drop of Young's modulus by up to six orders of magnitude from the GPa to kPa level at a controlled temperature within 28–43 ° C is demonstrated. This approach is based on brush‐like polymer networks with crystallizable side chains, e.g., poly(valerolactone), affording independent control of melting temperature and Young's modulus by concurrently altering side chain length and crosslink density. Softening down to the tissue level at the physiological temperature allows the design of tissue‐adaptive implants that can be inserted as rigid devices followed by matching the surrounding tissue mechanics at body temperature. This transition also enables thermally triggered release of embedded drugs for anti‐inflammatory treatment.