Mechanically Robust Shape-Memory Organohydrogels Based on Silk Fibroin with Organogel Microinclusions of Various Sizes

Baş Y., Okay O.

MACROMOLECULAR MATERIALS AND ENGINEERING, ss.1-9, 2023 (SCI-Expanded)

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Basım Tarihi: 2023
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1002/mame.202300129
  • Dergi Adı: MACROMOLECULAR MATERIALS AND ENGINEERING
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, PASCAL, Aerospace Database, Applied Science & Technology Source, Chemical Abstracts Core, Chimica, Communication Abstracts, Compendex, INSPEC, Metadex, Civil Engineering Abstracts
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.1-9
  • İstanbul Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Organohydrogels (OHGs) are soft materials with antagonistic hydrophilic andhydrophobic domains that have great interest for many different applications.This study presents the preparation of mechanically strong OHGs withshape-memory function by incorporating semicrystalline organo-microgelswithin the pores of silk fibroin (SF) scaffolds. In the first step, SF cryogels withvarious pore diameters between 26±8and17±4μm are synthesized bycryogelation of aqueous SF solutions at concentrations between 5 and 20w/v%. In the second step, the pores of SF scaffolds are filled with anorganogel precursor solution containing n-octadecyl acrylate (C18A), acrylicacid,N,N’-methylene(bis)acrylamide, and an initiator. Once the free-radicalpolymerization took place inside the pores, OHGs containingorgano-microgels of various sizes are obtained. The incorporation of theorganogel component in the cryogels generates crystalline areas due to theside-by-side packed C18 side chains. OHGs’ melting temperature andcrystallinity level can be varied from 42 to 54°C and from 2 to 16%,respectively. The stiffness of OHGs increases from 5.9±0.5 to 18±1MPawith increasing SF concentration from 5 to 20 w/v%, which is attributed to thedecreasing pore size of the cryogels and increasing thickness of the pore walls.