Biotechnology Center (BIOTEC), Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering (CMCB), Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, 01307, Germany.
Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden (IPF), Max Bergmann Center of Biomaterials Dresden (MBC), Dresden, 01069, Germany.
Small. 2019 Jul;15(27):e1901406. doi: 10.1002/smll.201901406. Epub 2019 Apr 26.
Electrically conductive materials that mimic physical and biological properties of tissues are urgently required for seamless brain-machine interfaces. Here, a multinetwork hydrogel combining electrical conductivity of 26 S m , stretchability of 800%, and tissue-like elastic modulus of 15 kPa with mimicry of the extracellular matrix is reported. Engineering this unique set of properties is enabled by a novel in-scaffold polymerization approach. Colloidal hydrogels of the nanoclay Laponite are employed as supports for the assembly of secondary polymer networks. Laponite dramatically increases the conductivity of in-scaffold polymerized poly(ethylene-3,4-diethoxy thiophene) in the absence of other dopants, while preserving excellent stretchability. The scaffold is coated with a layer containing adhesive peptide and polysaccharide dextran sulfate supporting the attachment, proliferation, and neuronal differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cells directly on the surface of conductive hydrogels. Due to its compatibility with simple extrusion printing, this material promises to enable tissue-mimetic neurostimulating electrodes.
迫切需要具有组织物理和生物特性模拟能力的导电材料来实现无缝的脑机接口。在这里，报道了一种多网络水凝胶，它具有 26 S m 的电导率、800%的拉伸性和 15 kPa 的组织样弹性模量，并具有细胞外基质的模拟能力。通过一种新颖的支架内聚合方法实现了这种独特性能集的工程设计。纳米粘土 Laponite 的胶体水凝胶被用作组装二级聚合物网络的支撑物。在没有其他掺杂剂的情况下，Laponite 极大地提高了支架内聚合的聚（3,4-乙氧基噻吩）的电导率，同时保持了优异的拉伸性。支架涂有一层含有粘附肽和多糖硫酸葡聚糖的层，可直接在导电水凝胶表面支持人诱导多能干细胞的附着、增殖和神经元分化。由于其与简单的挤出印刷兼容，这种材料有望实现组织模拟神经刺激电极。
