Mosaic hydrogels: one-step formation of multiscale soft materials.
The one-step, continuous formation of mosaic hydrogel sheets is presented. A microfluidic device allows controllable incorporation of secondary biopolymers within a flowing biopolymer sheet followed by a cross-linking step that retains the microscale composition. Information is encoded; mosaic stiffness and diffusivity patterns are created; tessellations are populated with biomolecules, microparticles and viable primary cells; and 3D soft material assemblies are demonstrated.
Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, 5 King's College Road, Toronto, Ontario, M5S3G8, Canada.
Lian
L
Leng
Arianna
A
McAllister
Boyang
B
Zhang
Milica
M
Radisic
Axel
A
Günther
D000464:Alginates / Q000737:chemistry; D001704:Biopolymers / Q000737:chemistry; D061307:Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells; D006801:Humans; D020136:Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate / Q000737:chemistry*; D046210:Microfluidic Analytical Techniques; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000737:chemistry
D000464:Alginates; D001704:Biopolymers; D009842:Oligopeptides; D020136:Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate; C046617:arginyl-glycyl-aspartyl-serine