April 22 - 26, 2024
Seattle, Washington
May 7 - 9, 2024 (Virtual)

Event Supporters

2024 MRS Spring Meeting
MF03.02.02

Agarose Facilitating Functional Hydrogels

When and Where

Apr 25, 2024
9:15am - 9:45am
Room 323, Level 3, Summit

Presenter(s)

Co-Author(s)

Olli Ikkala1,Hang Zhang1

Aalto University1

Abstract

Olli Ikkala1,Hang Zhang1

Aalto University1
Agarose is polysaccharide that is extracted from seaweed and has amply been applied, e.g., in biological characterizations. It forms hydrogels by physical crosslinks, showing thermoreversible sol-gel transitions, wherein nanoscopic bundles of semiflexible fibrils are formed in the gel state in comparison to polymer coils in the sol state. In hydrogels it allows strain stiffening (1). Here we show that agarose facilitates new hydrogelation functionalizations. We combine agarose physical gel networks with poly(N-isopropylacrylamide), PNIPAm, chemical gel networks. PNIPAm classically shows Lower Critical Solution Temperature (LCST) thermoresponsive behavior. Upon removing the agarose network, emptied channels remain facilitating rapid water flow (2). Such channelled PNIPAm gels are transparent at room temperature, but show intense white colour upon heating. Chemically modified agarose can also be used as a chemical macro-crosslinker therein to allow even promoted whiteness upon heating (3). Similarly, upon removing the agarose network to allow channeled PNIPAm hydrogels allows rapidly thermally switchable underwater adhesion taken that PNIPAm has been functionalized with catechol (4). Finally, thermally trainable mechanical and volumetric properties are shown using networks consisting of PNIPAm and agarose or acrylated agarose (5). The approaches suggest that agarose is a versatile polysaccharide to functionalize composite hydrogels, relevant in foreseen applications.<br/><br/>1. L. Martikainen, K. Bertula, M. Turunen, O. Ikkala, Macromolecules, 53, 9983, 2020<br/>2. A. Eklund, H. Zhang, H. Zeng, A. Priimagi, O. Ikkala, Adv. Funct. Mater., 30, 2000754, 2020.<br/>3. A. Eklund, S. Hu, Y. Fang, H. Savolainen, H. Zeng, A. Priimagi, O. Ikkala, H. Zhang, submitted, 2023.<br/>4. A. Eklund, O. Ikkala, H. Zhang, Adv. Funct. Mater., 2214091, 2023<br/>5. S. Hu , Y. Fang , C. Liang, M. Turunen, O. Ikkala, H. Zhang, Nat. Commun., 14, 3717, 2023

Keywords

biomaterial | biomimetic | responsive

Symposium Organizers

Yuanyuan Li, KTH Royal Institute of Technology
Kunal Masania, TU Delft
Gustav Nystrom, EMPA
Eleftheria Roumeli, University of Washington

Session Chairs

Yuanyuan Li
Eleftheria Roumeli

In this Session