Varying the Stiffness and Diffusivity of Rod-Shaped Microgels Independently through Their Molecular Building Blocks

In this report, we systematically vary the architecture and molar mass of polyethylene glycol-acrylate (PEG-Ac) precursors, as well as their concentration and combination, to gain insight in the different parameters that affect the internal structure of rod-shaped microgels. We characterize the mechanical properties and diffusivity, as well as the conversion of acrylate groups during photopolymerization, in both bulk hydrogels and microgels produced from the PEG-Ac precursors. Furthermore, we investigate cell-microgel interaction, and we observe improved cell spreading on microgels with more accessible RGD peptide and with a stiffness in a range of 20 kPa to 50 kPa lead to better cell growth.PMID:37712344 | DOI:10.1002/anie.202309779

Source: Angewandte Chemie - September 15, 2023 Category: Chemistry Authors: Yonca Kittel Luis P B Guerzoni Carolina Itzin Dirk Rommel Matthias Mork C éline Bastard Bernhard H äßel Abdolrahman Omidinia-Anarkoli Silvia P Centeno Tam ás Haraszti Kyoohyun Kim Jochen Guck Alexander J C Kuehne Laura De Laporte Source Type: research