Multifunctional hyperbranched poly(poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate) (HB-PEGDA) polymers with welldefined composition, structure and functionality are proposed in this work as photonic hydrogel scaffolds. By taking advantage of its unique transparency, low intrinsic viscosity and high amount of vinyl groups, the HB-PEGDA can effectively penetrate inside the colloidal photonic crystal (CPC) substrate and be crosslinked with thiolated hyaluronic acid very quickly. This photonic hydrogel shows not only an unexpected protective effect to the untreated CPC substrate, but also non-swelling characteristics attributed to its relatively compacted network structure, which leads to robust structural integrity and credible, consistent optical performance under complex physiological conditions. Moreover, this photonic hydrogel shows good biocompatibility and can be easily modified to introduce specific functions (e.g., cell attachment), providing novel insights into the photonic hydrogel design towards diverse bio-optical applications.

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Branched polymers exhibit a unique three-dimensional (3D) molecular architecture and distinctive physical/chemical properties, and thus have been applied in a wide variety of fields.