Jia Mengwei, Guan Mingle, Yao Ryan, Qing Yuan, Hou Xiaoya, Zhang Jie
School of Mechanical Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China.
Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Food Manufacturing Equipment and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214126, China.
Gels. 2024 Sep 13;10(9):590. doi: 10.3390/gels10090590.
To face the challenges in preparing hydrogel fibers with complex structures and functions, this study utilized a microfluidic coaxial co-extrusion technique to successfully form functional hydrogel fibers through rapid ionic crosslinking. Functional hydrogel fibers with complex structures, including linear fibers, core-shell structure fibers, embedded helical channels, hollow tubes, and necklaces, were generated by adjusting the composition of internal and external phases. The characteristic parameters of the hydrogel fibers (inner and outer diameter, helix generation position, pitch, etc.) were achieved by adjusting the flow rate of the internal and external phases. As biocompatible materials, hydrogel fibers were endowed with electrical conductivity, temperature sensitivity, mechanical enhancement, and freeze resistance, allowing for their use as temperature sensors for human respiratory monitoring and other biomimetic application developments. The hydrogel fibers had a conductivity of up to 22.71 S/m, a response time to respiration of 37 ms, a recovery time of 1.956 s, and could improve the strength of respiration; the tensile strength at break up to 8.081 MPa, elongation at break up to 159%, and temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) up to -13.080% °C were better than the existing related research.
为应对制备具有复杂结构和功能的水凝胶纤维所面临的挑战，本研究采用微流控同轴共挤出技术，通过快速离子交联成功制备出功能性水凝胶纤维。通过调整内相和外相的组成，制备出了具有复杂结构的功能性水凝胶纤维，包括线性纤维、核壳结构纤维、嵌入式螺旋通道、空心管和项链状结构。通过调节内相和外相的流速，实现了水凝胶纤维的特征参数（内径和外径、螺旋生成位置、螺距等）的调控。作为生物相容性材料，水凝胶纤维具有导电性、温度敏感性、机械增强性和抗冻性，可用于人体呼吸监测的温度传感器以及其他仿生应用开发。该水凝胶纤维的电导率高达22.71 S/m，对呼吸的响应时间为37 ms，恢复时间为1.956 s，且能增强呼吸强度；其断裂拉伸强度高达8.081 MPa，断裂伸长率高达159%，电阻温度系数（TCR）高达-13.080%/°C，优于现有相关研究。
