Ultrastrong Poly(2‐Oxazoline)/Poly(Acrylic Acid) Double‐Network Hydrogels with Cartilage‐Like Mechanical Properties

The exceptional stiffness and toughness of double-network hydrogels (DNHs) offer the possibility to mimic even complex biomaterials, such as cartilage. latter has a limited regenerative capacity thus needs be substituted with an artificial material. DNHs composed cross-linked poly(2-oxazoline)s (POx) poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) are synthesized by free radical polymerization in two-step process. resulting stabilized hydrogen bridges at pH 7.4 (physiological PBS buffer) due pKa-shifting effect POx on PAA. based poly(2-methyl-2-oxazoline), which have water content (WC) around 66 wt% not cytotoxic, show biomechanical properties that match those cartilage terms WC, stiffness, toughness, coefficient friction, compression body relevant stress conditions viscoelastic behavior. This material also high strength egg white synovial liquid substitute. In particular, up 60 MPa makes this superior.