Electro-assisted printing of soft hydrogels via controlled electrochemical reactions.

ABSTRACT: Hydrogels underpin many applications in tissue engineering, cell encapsulation, drug delivery and bioelectronics. Methods improving control over gelation mechanisms and patterning are still needed. Here we explore a less-known gelation approach relying on sequential electrochemical-chemical-chemical (ECC) reactions. An ionic species and/or molecule in solution is oxidised over a conductive surface at a specific electric potential. The oxidation generates an intermediate species that reacts with a macromolecule, forming a hydrogel at the electrode-electrolyte interface. We introduce potentiostatic control over this process, allowing the selection of gelation reactions and control of hydrogel growth rate. In chitosan and alginate systems, we demonstrate precipitation, covalent and ionic gela

SUBMITTER: Da Silva AC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8924165 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature