Hydrogels' applications are usually limited by their weak mechanical properties. Despite recent great progress in developing tough hydrogels, it is still challenging to achieve high values of , toughness and modulus all together in synthetic hydrogels. In this paper, we designed highly stretchable, tough, yet stiff hydrogel composites via a combination of nanoscale hybrid crosslinking and macro...

Hydrogels of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) cross-linked with N,N′-cystaminebis(acrylamide) (CBA) were prepared inside microchannels using an in situ photopolymerization for the study of chemical-responsive microgels. By chemically reducing disulfide bonds with dithiothreitol (DTT), the cross-link density of the hydrogel network decreased, leading to an observable swelling of the hydrogel. ...

A hydrogel intracorneal lens for refractive keratoplasty must have predictable and stable optics when implanted in the corneal stroma. A series of experiments was performed to evaluate the hydrogel hydration stability when in the corneal stromal environment. Hydrogel ICLs of 54%, 63%, 66% and 71% water content showed no loss of hydration (by weight) after one week in the rabbit corneal stroma. ...

We report an all-dry fabrication method of the hybrid structure of pH-responsive hydrogel and carbon nanotube arrays using initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD). Vertically aligned carbon nanotube (VACNT) arrays with low site density were coated by a vapor-deposited poly(methacrylic acid-coethylene glycol diacrylate) hydrogel with complete retention of the aligned structure and precise con...

Recent advances in understanding the interaction between electricity and cells/biomolecules have generated great interest in developing biocompatible electrically conductive materials. In this study, we investigated the biocompatibility of a myo-inositol hexakisphosphate gelated polyaniline hydrogel using in vitro and in vivo experiments in a rat model. The polyaniline hydrogel was used to coat...

The development of a simple, easy-to-use, and noninvasive vaccination system is in high demand. For transcutaneous immunization (TCI), we previously reported that a hydrogel patch was an effective TCI device that accelerates antigen penetration through the stratum corneum in mouse and rat models. The present study was performed to characterize the transcutaneous protein delivery induced by the ...

A porous lignin-containing hydrogel was developed for dye removal via graft copolymerization of acetic acid lignin (AAL) and acrylamide (AAm), in the presence of ethyleneglycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) as a crosslinker and H2O2 as an initiator. AAL was characterized by FT-IR and TGA. After being washed to remove impurities, the hydrogel was characterized by FT-IR, TGA, SEM, and swelling ratio. FT...

Gastrointestinal (GI) and genitourinary (GU) toxicity was assessed during and after conventional IMRT in 21 low to intermediate risk cancer patients that had received an absorbable hydrogel spacer between the prostate and the rectum. The transperineal hydrogel injection resulted in the creation of 11.5 mm space between the prostate and rectum; space that was not decreased throughout radiotherap...

Study Objective. To evaluate the space creation, maintenance and absorption of an absorbable hydrogel injected into the perirectal space of patients prior to undergoing prostate radiotherapy. Design. CT or MR imaging performed before hydrogel application (Baseline), one week after hydrogel application, following 8 weeks of IMRT (78Gy total) and then again 6 months following implantation. Settin...

background: the excellent biocompatibility, biodegradability and biological properties of the hydrogels, fabricated using natural polymers, especially polysaccharides, are very advantageous for biomedical applications. gum tragacanth (gt) is a heterogeneous highly branched anionic polysaccharide, which has been used extensively in food and pharmaceutical industries. despite,  its desirable prop...