Covalent
adaptable hydrogels (CAHs) dynamically evolve when pushed
out of equilibrium by force or change in environmental conditions.
Adapting these materials for advanced biological applications, including
3D cell culture and drug delivery platforms, requires in-depth knowledge
of the evolution of scaffold microstructure and rheological properties.
We use multiple particle tracking microrheology to measure the changes
in a poly(ethylene glycol)–hydrazone CAH structure and properties
when pushed out of equilibrium by a single change in pH. We determine
the CAH degrades rapidly at acidic pH with multiple cycles of almost
complete degradation and gelation. At pH 7.1, the scaffold degrades
and re-forms cross-links over approximately 1.5 weeks with small oscillations
between degradation and gelation. These degradation cycles are well
described with first- and second-order reaction kinetics. MPT is sensitive
enough to measure the phase transitions in these materials giving
new insight into how CAHs evolve and their potential uses in biological
applications.
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