Foldable micropatterned hydrogel film made from biocompatible PCL-b-PEG-b-PCL diacrylate by UV embossing.
Foldable hydrogel films with micropatterns measuring 480 microm by 45 microm by 54 microm by 2 cm (width of microchannel by width of microwall by height of wall by length of pattern) were made by UV embossing of a block copolymer of polycaprolactone (PCL) and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), specifically PCL-b-PEG-b-PCL-diacrylate (DA), with a polydimethylsiloxane mold. The mold was treated with Ar/CF(4) plasma to simultaneously promote microchannel filling and demolding, and the glass substrate was modified with 3-(trimethoxysilyl) propyl acrylate to promote hydrogel adhesion to avoid delamination of the gel during demolding. The micropatterned hydrogel film was detached from the glass substrate by freeze-drying. As the films were demolded, the microstructured pattern was well replicated in the hydrogel. The gel pattern dimensions shrank with freeze-drying and increased with water swelling, but under both conditions, the gel micropattern morphology was perfectly preserved. PCL-b-PEG-b-PCL-DA hydrogel was found to have good biocompatibility compared with PEGDA hydrogel. A micropattern with a smaller microchannel width of 50 microm was also made. Micropatterned foldable and biocompatible hydrogel films have potential applications in the construction of tissue-engineering scaffolds.
Zhu
Ai Ping
AP
School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore 639798, Singapore.
Chan-Park
Mary B
MB
Gao
Jian Xia
JX
D000179:Acrylates / Q000737:chemistry*; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D005026:Ethylene Glycols / Q000737:chemistry*; D020100:Hydrogels; D011091:Polyesters / Q000737:chemistry*; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays
D000179:Acrylates; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D005026:Ethylene Glycols; D020100:Hydrogels; D011091:Polyesters; C476300:poly(epsilon-caprolactone)-b-poly(ethylene glycol); C036658:acrylic acid