Journal
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
Volume 7, Issue 21, Pages 11134-11140Publisher
AMER CHEMICAL SOC
DOI: 10.1021/acsami.5b00081
Keywords
microscale hydrogel; liquid bridge; tailored microstructure; tissue regeneration; microgel assembly
Funding
- National Natural Science Foundation of China [11372243]
- Major International Joint Research Program of China [11120101002]
- China Young 1000-Talent Program
- Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University [NCET-12-0437]
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Microscale hydrogels (microgels) find widespread applications in various fields, such as drug delivery, tissue engineering, and biosensing. The shape of the microgels is a critical parameter that can significantly influence their function in these applications. Although various methods have been developed (e.g., micromolding, photolithography, microfluidics, and mechanical deformation method), it is still technically challenging to fabricate microgels with tailored microstructures. In this study, we have developed a simple and versatile method for preparing microgels by stretching hydrogel precursor droplets between two substrates to form a liquid bridge. Microgels with tailored microstructures (e.g., barrel-like, dumbbell-like, or funnel-like shapes) have been achieved through adjusting the distance between and the hydrophobicity of the two substrates. The developed method holds great potential to impact multiple fields, such as drug delivery, tissue engineering, and biosensing.
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