Formation of defined microporous 3D structures starting from cross-linked hydrogels.
A new and simple technique was developed to obtain polysaccharide (hyaluronane, alginate and carboxymethylcellulose) -based hydrogels with a defined porous morphology. The technique consists of stratifying a cross-linked hydrogel on a filter with known pore diameter. CO(2) bubbles, produced by the addition of HCl to a porogen salt NaHCO(3), are forced to pass through the filter, and they induce the hydrogel to assume a porous morphology. The presence and distribution of pores was confirmed by scanning-electron microscopy (SEM). A strict correspondence was found between the porosity of the filter and the pore diameter in the hydrogels. Water uptake measurements showed a decreased amount of water taken up by the porous hydrogels compared with the native hydrogels, due to a compacting of the material. An explanation of the porous material properties of Hyal hydrogel was given on the basis of FTIR spectra.
Barbucci
Rolando
R
C.R.I.S.M.A. and Department of Chemical and Biosystem Sciences and Technologies, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy. barbucci@unisi.it
Leone
Gemma
G
D000464:Alginates / Q000737:chemistry; D002266:Carboxymethylcellulose Sodium / Q000737:chemistry; D020723:Glucuronic Acid / Q000737:chemistry; D006603:Hexuronic Acids / Q000737:chemistry; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid / Q000737:chemistry; D020100:Hydrogels / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D014867:Water
D000464:Alginates; D006603:Hexuronic Acids; D020100:Hydrogels; D014867:Water; D020723:Glucuronic Acid; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid; D002266:Carboxymethylcellulose Sodium