Reinforcement of Shear Thinning Protein Hydrogels by Responsive Block Copolymer Self-Assembly.

ABSTRACT: Shear thinning hydrogels are promising materials that exhibit rapid self-healing following the cessation of shear, making them attractive for a variety of applications including injectable biomaterials. In this work, self-assembly is demonstrated as a strategy to introduce a reinforcing network within shear thinning artificially engineered protein gels, enabling a responsive transition from an injectable state at low temperatures with a low yield stress to a stiffened state at physiological temperatures with resistance to shear thinning, higher toughness, and reduced erosion rates and creep compliance. Protein-polymer triblock copolymers capable of the responsive self-assembly of two orthogonal networks have been synthesized by conjugating poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) to the N- and C- termi

SUBMITTER: Glassman MJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4283780 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature