Department of Chemical Engineering, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel.
Department of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel.
Int J Biol Macromol. 2024 Nov;279(Pt 4):135244. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.135244. Epub 2024 Sep 11.
The three-dimensional network architecture of hydrogels significantly influences their mechanical and physical properties; therefore, understanding them is essential for designing optimized hydrogel-based biomaterials. This study presents a comparative analysis of two hybrid hydrogels composed of konjac glucomannan (KGM) and kappa carrageenan (KCAR) with the same stiffness (5.2-5.7 kPa and 1.6-1.7 kPa) thus similar cross-linking density but different network architectures: a classic network formed by extended polysaccharide interactions and a nanogel junction network where nanoscale cross-linked KCAR (KCAR-NGs) links KGM chains. The mechanical behavior, dissolution, and diffusion characteristics were examined, revealing that the classic network demonstrates superior tensile resistance, elongation, and solvent-induced swelling resistance, leading to slower dissolution rates and higher viscosity. Conversely, the nanogel junction network offers higher permeability for small molecules and faster dissolution, suggesting a more open network structure. These findings highlight the nanogel-based hydrogels' advantages for biomedical applications requiring stability, permeability, and rapid dissolution without high temperatures or chelating agents. This study underscores the potential of nanogel junction networks to balance hydrogel stiffness and permeability, advancing the design of hydrogel-based biomaterials.
水凝胶的三维网络结构显著影响其机械和物理性能；因此，了解它们对于设计优化的水凝胶基生物材料至关重要。本研究对两种由魔芋葡甘聚糖 (KGM) 和角叉菜胶 (KCAR) 组成的混合水凝胶进行了比较分析，这两种水凝胶具有相同的刚度（5.2-5.7kPa 和 1.6-1.7kPa），因此具有相似的交联密度但具有不同的网络结构：由扩展多糖相互作用形成的经典网络和纳米凝胶连接网络，其中纳米尺度交联的 KCAR（KCAR-NGs）连接 KGM 链。研究了它们的机械行为、溶解和扩散特性，结果表明经典网络表现出更高的拉伸阻力、伸长率和抗溶剂溶胀性，导致较慢的溶解速率和更高的粘度。相比之下，纳米凝胶连接网络为小分子提供了更高的渗透性和更快的溶解速度，表明其具有更开放的网络结构。这些发现突出了基于纳米凝胶的水凝胶在需要稳定性、渗透性和快速溶解的生物医学应用中的优势，而无需高温或螯合剂。本研究强调了纳米凝胶连接网络在平衡水凝胶刚度和渗透性方面的潜力，为水凝胶基生物材料的设计提供了新的思路。
