Open AccessGraphene-Lined Porous Gelatin Glycidyl Methacrylate Hydrogels: Implications for Tissue Engineering
Author(s) -
Roholah Sharifi,
Hannah Sharifi,
Ali Akbari,
Claes H. Dohlman,
Eleftherios I. Paschalis,
Miguel GonzálezAndrades,
Jing Kong,
James Chodosh
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
acs applied nano materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.227
H-Index - 29
ISSN - 2574-0970
DOI - 10.1021/acsanm.1c03201
Subject(s) - materials science , graphene , gelatin , nanotechnology , tissue engineering , methacrylate , self healing hydrogels , porosity , fabrication , microemulsion , graphite , chemical engineering , composite material , polymer , copolymer , biomedical engineering , polymer chemistry , chemistry , medicine , pulmonary surfactant , biochemistry , alternative medicine , engineering , pathology
Despite rigorous research, inferior mechanical properties and structural homogeneity are the main challenges constraining hydrogel's suturability to host tissue and limiting its clinical applications. To tackle those, we developed a reverse solvent interface trapping method, in which organized, graphene-coated microspherical cavities were introduced into a hydrogel to create heterogeneity and make it suturable. To generate those cavities, (i) graphite exfoliates to graphene sheets, which spread at the water/ heptane interfaces of the microemulsion, (ii) heptane fills the microspheres coated by graphene, and (iii) a cross-linkable hydrogel dissolved in water fills the voids. Cross-linking solidifies such microemulsion to a strong, suturable, permanent hybrid architecture, which has better mechanical properties, yet it is biocompatible and supports cell adhesion and proliferation. These properties along with the ease and biosafety of fabrication suggest the potential of this strategy to enhance tissue engineering outcomes by generating various suturable scaffolds for biomedical applications, such as donor cornea carriers for Boston keratoprosthesis (BK).