Cartilage-Inspired, High-Strength, and Heat-Tolerant Lubricating Hydrogels by Macrophase Separation.
Biomacromolecules
; 25(6): 3554-3565, 2024 Jun 10.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38729918
ABSTRACT
Hydrogels are considered as a potential cartilage replacement material based on their structure being similar to natural cartilage, which are of great significance in repairing cartilage defects. However, it is difficult for the existing hydrogels to combine the high load bearing and low friction properties (37 °C) of cartilage through sample methods. Herein, we report a facile and new fabrication strategy to construct the PNIPAm/EYL hydrogel by using the macrophase separation of supersaturated N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAm) monomer solution to promote the formation of liposomes from egg yolk lecithin (EYL) and asymmetric template method. The PNIPAm/EYL hydrogels possess a relatively high compressive strength (more than 12 MPa), fracture energy (9820 J/m2), good fatigue resistance, lubricating properties, and excellent biocompatibility. Compared with the PNIPAm hydrogel, the friction coefficient (COF 0.046) of PNIPAm/EYL hydrogel is reduced by 50%. More importantly, the COF (0.056) of PNIPAm/EYL hydrogel above lower critical solution temperature (LCST) does not increase significantly, exhibiting heat-tolerant lubricity. The finite element analysis further proves that PNIPAm/EYL hydrogel can effectively disperse the applied stress and dissipate energy under load conditions. This work not only provides new insights for the design of high-strength lubricating hydrogels but also lays a foundation for the treatment of cartilage injury as a substitute material.
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Acrylic Resins
/
Hydrogels
Limits:
Animals
Language:
En
Journal:
Biomacromolecules
Journal subject:
BIOLOGIA MOLECULAR
Year:
2024
Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
China