The low structural stability of hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks (HOFs) is a thorny issue retarding the development of HOFs. A rational design approach is now proposed for construction of a stable HOF. The resultant HOF (PFC-1) exhibits high surface area of 2122 m g and excellent chemical stability (intact in concentrated HCl for at least 117 days). A new method of acid-assisted crystalline redemption is used to readily cure the thermal damage to PFC-1. With periodic integration of photoactive pyrene in the robust framework, PFC-1 can efficiently encapsulate Doxorubicin (Doxo) for synergistic chemo-photodynamic therapy, showing comparable therapeutic efficacy with the commercial Doxo yet considerably lower cytotoxicity. This work demonstrates the notorious stability issue of HOFs can be properly addressed through rational design, paving a way to develop robust HOFs and offering promising application perspectives.
Liquid‐metal (LM)‐based flexible and stretchable electronics have attracted widespread interest in wearable computing, human–machine interaction, and soft robotics. However, many current examples are one‐off prototypes, whereas future implementation requires mass production. To address this critical challenge, an integrated multimaterial 3D printing process composed of direct ink writing (DIW) of sealing silicone elastomer and special LM‐silicone (LMS) inks for manufacturing high‐performance LM‐based flexible and stretchable electronics is presented. The LMS ink is a concentrated mixture of LM microdroplets and silicone elastomer and exhibits excellent printability for DIW printing. Guided by a verified theoretical model, a printing process with high resolution and high speed can be easily implemented. Although LMS is not initially conductive, it can be activated by pressing or freezing. Activated LMS possesses good conductivity and significant electrical response to strain. Owing to LMS's unique structure, LMS‐embedded flexible electronics exhibit great damage mitigation, in that no leaking occurs even when damaged. To demonstrate the flexibility of this process in fabricating LM‐based flexible electronics, multilayer soft circuits, strain sensors, and data gloves are printed and investigated. Notably, utilizing LMS's unique activating property, some functional circuits such as one‐time pressing/freezing‐on switch can be printed without any structural design.
Hydrogel structures equipped with internal microchannels offer more in vivo‐relevant models for construction of tissues and organs in vitro. However, currently used microfabrication methods of constructing microfluidic devices are not suitable for the handling of hydrogel. This study presents a novel method of fabricating hydrogel‐based microfluidic chips by combining the casting and bonding processes. A twice cross‐linking strategy is designed to obtain a bonding interface that has the same strength with the hydrogel bulk, which can be applied to arbitrary combinations of hydrogels. It is convenient to achieve the construction of hydrogel structures with channels in branched, spiral, serpentine, and multilayer forms. The experimental results show that the combination of gelatin and gelatin methacrylate (GelMA) owns the best biocompatibility and can promote cell functionalization. Based on these, a vessel‐on‐a‐chip system with vascular function in both physiological and pathological situations is established, providing a promising model for further investigations such as vascularization, vascular inflammation, tissue engineering, and drug development. Taken together, a facile and cytocompatible approach is developed for engineering a user‐defined hydrogel‐based chip that can be potentially useful in developing vascularized tissue or organ models.
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