title: Porosity-Tuned Chitosan-Polyacrylamide Hydrogel Microspheres for Improved Protein Conjugation.
abstract: We report a robust method to manufacture polyacrylamide-based functional hydrogel microspheres with readily tunable macroporous structures by utilizing a simple micromolding-based technique. Specifically, surface tension-induced droplet formation of aqueous solutions of chitosan and acrylamide in 2D-shaped micromolds followed by photoinduced polymerization leads to monodisperse microspheres. Pore sizes of the microspheres can be readily tuned by simple addition of inert long-chain poly(ethylene glycol) porogen at low content in the prepolymer solution. The as-prepared chitosan-polyacrylamide microspheres exhibit chemical functionality through chitosan's primary amines, rapid protein conjugation with selective tetrazine-trans-cyclooctene reaction, and nonfouling property. Combined with the potential to create anisotropic network structures, we envision that our simple fabrication-conjugation method would offer a potent route to manufacture a variety of biofunctionalized hydrogel microentities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Tufts University , Medford, Massachusetts, United States.
authors.forename: Sukwon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Tufts University , Medford, Massachusetts, United States.
authors.forename: John H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Abel
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Tufts University , Medford, Massachusetts, United States.
authors.forename: Jesse L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Starger
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Tufts University , Medford, Massachusetts, United States.
authors.forename: Hyunmin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yi
mesh_terms: D000180:Acrylic Resins / Q000737:chemistry*; D048271:Chitosan / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D020136:Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate / Q000737:chemistry*; D008863:Microspheres; D058105:Polymerization; D016062:Porosity; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000180:Acrylic Resins; D011506:Proteins; C016680:polyacrylamide gels; D020136:Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate; D048271:Chitosan