title: Strong and tough nanofibrous hydrogel composites based on biomimetic principles.
abstract: Mechanically robust hydrogels are required for many tissue engineering applications to serve as cell-supporting structures. Unlike natural tissues, the majority of existing tough hydrogels lack ordered microstructures organized to withstand specific loading conditions. In this work, electrospun gelatin nanofibres, mimicking the collagen network in native tissues, are used to strengthen and resist crack propagation in brittle alginate hydrogels. Aligned nanofibre reinforcement enhances the tensile strength of the hydrogels by up to two orders of magnitude. The nanofibres can be arranged as multilayer laminates with varying orientations, which increases the toughness by two orders of magnitude compared with the unreinforced hydrogel. This work demonstrates a two-part strategy of fibre reinforcement and composite lamination in manufacturing strong and tough hydrogels with flexible microstructures to suit different mechanical and biomedical requirements.
authors.affiliation: Department of Engineering, The Nanoscience Centre, 11 JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0FF, United Kingdom; National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Klong Luang, Pathum Thani, Thailand.
authors.forename: Khaow
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tonsomboon
authors.affiliation: Department of Engineering, The Nanoscience Centre, 11 JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0FF, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Annabel L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Butcher
authors.affiliation: Department of Engineering, The Nanoscience Centre, 11 JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0FF, United Kingdom. Electronic address: mlo29@cam.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Michelle L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Oyen
mesh_terms: D000464:Alginates / Q000737:chemistry; D040761:Biomimetic Materials / Q000737:chemistry*; D055119:Elastic Modulus; D005780:Gelatin / Q000737:chemistry; D020723:Glucuronic Acid / Q000737:chemistry; D006603:Hexuronic Acids / Q000737:chemistry; D020100:Hydrogels / Q000737:chemistry*; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D057139:Nanofibers / Q000737:chemistry*; D013718:Tensile Strength
chemical_list: D000464:Alginates; D006603:Hexuronic Acids; D020100:Hydrogels; D020723:Glucuronic Acid; D005780:Gelatin
keywords: Fracture; Hydrogel; Nanocomposite; Nanofibres; Toughness