Mechanical properties of alginate hydrogels manufactured using external gelation.
Alginate hydrogels are commonly used in biomedical applications such as scaffolds for tissue engineering, drug delivery, and as a medium for cell immobilisation. Multivalent cations are often employed to create physical crosslinks between carboxyl and hydroxyl moieties on neighbouring polysaccharide chains, creating hydrogels with a range of mechanical properties. This work describes the manufacture and characterisation of sodium alginate hydrogels using the divalent cations Mg(2+), Ca(2+) and Sr(2+) to promote gelation via non-covalent crosslinks. Gelation time and Young׳s modulus are characterised as a function of cation and alginate concentrations. The implications of this work towards the use of environmental elasticity to control stem cell differentiation are discussed.
School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Birmingham, Edgbaston B15 2TT, UK; CNRS, LAAS, N2IS, 7 Avenue du Colonel Roche, F-31400 Toulouse, France; Universite de Toulouse, LAAS, F-31400 Toulouse, France.
Georgia
G
Kaklamani
School of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Birmingham, Edgbaston B15 2TT, UK; Engineering Department, Lancaster University, Bailrigg, Lancaster LA1 4YR, UK.
David
D
Cheneler
School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Birmingham, Edgbaston B15 2TT, UK.
Liam M
LM
Grover
School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Birmingham, Edgbaston B15 2TT, UK.
Michael J
MJ
Adams
School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Birmingham, Edgbaston B15 2TT, UK. Electronic address: j.bowen.1@bham.ac.uk.
James
J
Bowen
D000464:Alginates / Q000737:chemistry*; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000138:chemical synthesis*; D002412:Cations / Q000737:chemistry; D019245:Compressive Strength; D055119:Elastic Modulus; D020723:Glucuronic Acid / Q000737:chemistry; D006244:Hardness; D006603:Hexuronic Acids / Q000737:chemistry; D020100:Hydrogels / Q000138:chemical synthesis*; D008422:Materials Testing; D008670:Metals / Q000737:chemistry*; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D014783:Viscosity
D000464:Alginates; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D002412:Cations; D006603:Hexuronic Acids; D020100:Hydrogels; D008670:Metals; D020723:Glucuronic Acid
Alginate; Calcium; Cation; Hydrogel; Indentation; Magnesium; Modulus; Strontium