Nanostructured Surface Functionalization of Polyacrylamide Hydrogels Below the Length Scale of Hydrogel Heterogeneity

Abstract

Hydrogels are broadly used in applications where polymer materials must interface with biology. The hydrogel network is amorphous, with substantial heterogeneity on length scales up to hundreds of nanometers, in some cases raising challenges for applications that would benefit from highly structured interactions with biomolecules. Here, we show that it is possible to generate ordered patterns of functional groups on polyacrylamide hydrogel surfaces. We demonstrate that, when linear patterns of amines are transferred to polyacrylamide, they pattern interactions with DNA at the interface, a capability of potential importance for preconcentration in chromatographic applications, as well as for the development of nanostructured hybrid materials and supports for cell culture.

Nanometer-scale patterning of hard and soft interfaces: from photolithography to molecular-scale design

“…We have discovered that a similar in situ polymerization process enables sPDA transfer to acrylate hydrogels (Fig. 9a), 13 with transfer dependent upon gel composition (Fig. 9b).…”

“…1,[6][7][8][9][10][11] We then describe surface patterning strategies based on noncovalent molecular network assembly on hard 2D materials, which can be used to produce nanometer-resolution chemical patterns, with a particular focus on striped phases of photopolymerizable functional alkanes. Recently, we have observed that chemical patterns embedded in these molecular layers can be transferred to the surfaces of soft materials including PDMS and hydrogels, 12,13 so we additionally discuss the outcomes of transferring high-resolution functionality to pattern amorphous materials below the length scale of their structural heterogeneity, and applications of this approach.…”

“…7), taking advantage of the sPDA backbone as a scaffold to stabilize the nm-scale chemical patterns during transfer. 12,13 Transfer is achieved using reactions (e.g. hydrosilylation or acrylate radical-mediated polymerization) that form covalent links to the sPDA polymer backbones in the monolayer molecular network.…”

NaYF4:Yb,Er@NaYF4:Yb,Tm and NaYF4:Yb,Tm@NaYF4:Yb,Er Core@Shell Upconversion Nanoparticles Embedded in Acrylamide Hydrogels for Anti-Counterfeiting and Information Encryption

“…These research methods have great implications for the synthesis of multicolor UCNPs. UCNP ink has been widely reported, but a large amount of luminescent ink dissolved in organic solvents, or containing toxic ions, hinders its application in food and medicine. , To broaden the scope of UCNP applications, poly­(vinyl alcohol), gelatin, and polyacrylamide (PAM) materials instead of ink, combined with UCNPs, are used to achieve an environment-friendly luminescent gel. − Such luminescent gels are biocompatible, nontoxic, , and degradable, , which can mitigate pollution and safety issues and are highly compatible with the current concept of carbon neutrality. Recently, Li et al used lanthanide complexes combined with hydrogels to construct three-dimensional (3D) information codes and realized the encryption and interpretation of luminescence information by simply alternating exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light and visible (vis) light .…”

Physicochemical Modifications on Thin Films of Poly(Ethylene Terephthalate) and Its Nanocomposite with Expanded Graphite Nanostructured by Ultraviolet and Infrared Femtosecond Laser Irradiation

“…Additionally, surface processing of polymers has significant importance today. In particular, there is an interest in generating nanostructures with complex morphologies in polymers or polymer-based composites to produce functional surfaces [ 15 , 16 ]. The nanostructures generated in these materials may have interesting wettability properties for applications, such as the prevention of frost formation [ 17 ] or water harvesting [ 18 ], or adhesion properties that mimic characteristics exhibited by some living beings in nature [ 19 ].…”