4.7 Article

Improving Mechanical Properties of Starch-Based Hydrogels Using Double Network Strategy

Journal

POLYMERS
Volume 14, Issue 17, Pages -

Publisher

MDPI
DOI: 10.3390/polym14173552

Keywords

starch; poly(vinyl alcohol); single network hydrogel; double network hydrogel; cytotoxicity

Funding

  1. Suranaree University of Technology
  2. Thailand Science Research and Innovation (TSRI)
  3. National Science, Research, and Innovation Fund (NSRF) [42853]
  4. National Research Council of Thailand (NRCT) [1232364]

Ask authors/readers for more resources

This work aims to improve the mechanical properties of starch-based hydrogels using a double-network strategy. The results showed that DN hydrogels had denser microstructures compared to SN hydrogels. This approach provides a simple and effective way to enhance the mechanical properties of starch-based hydrogels without sacrificing their biocompatibility.
This work aims to improve the mechanical properties of starch-based hydrogels using a double-network (DN) strategy. The single network (SN) starch hydrogel was first prepared using glutaraldehyde as a crosslinker. The compressive properties of the SN hydrogels were influenced by both crosslinker content and crosslinking time. The SN starch hydrogel possessing the best mechanical properties was then fabricated into DN hydrogels. Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and borax were used as a secondary polymer and a crosslinker, respectively. The PVA-borax complexation partly enhanced the DN hydrogel's compressive modulus by 30% and its toughness by 39%. DN hydrogels were found to have denser microstructures than SN hydrogels. To be specific, their walls thickened and grew more continuous while their pores shrank. The increased crosslinking density resulted in changes to the microstructure, which were well correlated with their porosity and water uptake capacity. An in vitro cytotoxicity test of the DN hydrogels revealed that they were non-toxic to chondrocytes. This work demonstrated that double networking is a simple but effective strategy for improving mechanical properties of starch-based hydrogels without sacrificing their biocompatibility. This approach can be used to tailor hydrogel properties to fulfill requirements for biomedical applications, such as tissue engineering and other related fields.

Authors

I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.

Reviews

Primary Rating

4.7
Not enough ratings

Secondary Ratings

Novelty
-
Significance
-
Scientific rigor
-
Rate this paper

Recommended

No Data Available
No Data Available