Laboratory of Macromolecular and Organic Chemistry, Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513,, 5600, MB, Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513,, 5600, MB, Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
Macromol Biosci. 2019 Jan;19(1):e1800173. doi: 10.1002/mabi.201800173. Epub 2018 Aug 7.
Nanocomposite hydrogels based on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are known to possess remarkable stiffness, electrical, and thermal conductivity. However, they often make use of CNTs as fillers in covalently cross-linked hydrogel networks or involve direct cross-linking between CNTs and polymer chains, limiting processability properties. Herein, nanocomposite hydrogels are developed, in which CNTs are fillers in a physically cross-linked hydrogel. Supramolecular nanocomposites are prepared at various CNT concentrations, ranging from 0.5 to 6 wt%. Incorporation of 3 wt% of CNTs leads to an increase of the material's toughness by over 80%, and it enhances electrical conductivity by 358%, compared to CNT-free hydrogel. Meanwhile, the nanocomposite hydrogels maintain thixotropy and processability, typical of the parent hydrogel. The study also demonstrates that these materials display remarkable cytocompatibility and support cell growth and proliferation, while preserving their functional activities. These supramolecular nanocomposite hydrogels are therefore promising candidates for biomedical applications, in which both toughness and electrical conductivity are important parameters.
基于碳纳米管（CNTs）的纳米复合水凝胶具有显著的刚性、导电性和热导率。然而，它们通常将 CNT 用作共价交联水凝胶网络中的填充物，或者涉及 CNT 与聚合物链之间的直接交联，从而限制了加工性能。在此，开发了一种纳米复合水凝胶，其中 CNT 是物理交联水凝胶中的填充物。在不同的 CNT 浓度下制备超分子纳米复合材料，范围从 0.5 到 6wt%。与不含 CNT 的水凝胶相比，掺入 3wt%的 CNT 可使材料的韧性提高 80%以上，电导率提高 358%。同时，纳米复合水凝胶保持触变性和加工性能，这是母体水凝胶的典型特征。该研究还表明，这些材料具有显著的细胞相容性，支持细胞生长和增殖，同时保持其功能活性。因此，这些超分子纳米复合水凝胶是生物医学应用中有前途的候选材料，其中韧性和导电性都是重要的参数。
