Fabrication of graded porous structure of hydroxypropyl cellulose hydrogels via temperature-induced phase separation
- Author(s)
- Alexia Tialiou, Zahraa H. Athab, Robert T. Woodward, Veronika Biegler, Bernhard K. Keppler, Ahmed F. Halbus, Michael R. Reithofer, Jia Min Chin
- Abstract
A novel hydroxypropyl cellulose (gHPC) hydrogel with graded porosity has been fabricated, in which pore size, shape, and mechanical properties vary across the material. The graded porosity was achieved by cross-linking different parts of the hydrogel at temperatures below and above 42 °C, which was found to be the temperature of turbidity onset (lower critical solution temperature, LCST) for the HPC and divinylsulfone cross-linker mixture. Scanning electron microscopy imaging revealed a decreasing pore size along the cross-section of the HPC hydrogel from the top to the bottom layer. HPC hydrogels demonstrate graded mechanical properties whereby the top layer, Zone 1, cross-linked below LCST, can be compressed by about 50% before fracture, whereas the middle and bottom layers (Zone 2 and 3, respectively) cross-linked at 42 °C, can withstand 80% compression before failure. This work demonstrates a straightforward, yet novel, concept of exploiting a graded stimulus to incorporate a graded functionality into porous materials that can withstand mechanical stress and minor elastic deformations.
- Organisation(s)
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Department of Materials Chemistry, Department of Functional Materials and Catalysis
- External organisation(s)
- University of Babylon, Research Cluster Translational Cancer Therapy Research
- Journal
- Carbohydrate Polymers
- Volume
- 315
- ISSN
- 0144-8617
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbpol.2023.120984
- Publication date
- 09-2023
- Peer reviewed
- Yes
- Austrian Fields of Science 2012
- 104018 Polymer chemistry
- Keywords
- ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Organic Chemistry, Polymers and Plastics, Materials Chemistry
- Portal url
- https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/4ba19925-e040-4ebb-98ab-0507626da9f8