Interfacial Nanoengineering of Hydrogel Surfaces via Block Copolymer Self-Assembly

verfasst von: Andrea Cosimi, Daniel D. Stöbener, Philip Nickl, Robert Schusterbauer, Ievgen S. Donskyi, Marie Weinhart
Abstract: Synthetic polymer hydrogels are valuable matrices for biotransformations, drug delivery, and soft implants. While the bulk properties of hydrogels depend on chemical composition and network structure, the critical role of interfacial features is often underestimated. This work presents a nanoscale modification of the gel-water interface using polymer brushes via a straightforward “grafting-to” strategy, offering an alternative to more cumbersome “grafting-from” approaches. Functional block copolymers with photoreactive anchor blocks are successfully self-assembled and UV-immobilized on hydrogel substrates despite their low solid content (<30 wt %). This versatile technique works on both bulk- and surface-immobilized hydrogels, demonstrated on poly(hydroxypropyl acrylate), poly(N-isopropylacrylamide), and alginate gels, allowing precise control over grafting density. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry revealed a homogeneous bilayered architecture. By “brushing-up”, the hydrogels’ interface can be tailored to enhance protein adsorption, improve cell adhesion, or impair the diffusive uptake of small molecules into the bulk gels. This effective interfacial nanoengineering method is broadly applicable for enhancing hydrogel performance across a wide range of applications.
Organisationseinheit(en): Institut für Physikalische Chemie und Elektrochemie
Externe Organisation(en): Freie Universität Berlin (FU Berlin)
Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM)
Typ: Artikel
Journal: ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces
Band: 17
Seiten: 10073-10086
Anzahl der Seiten: 14
ISSN: 1944-8244
Publikationsdatum: 12.02.2025
Publikationsstatus: Veröffentlicht
Peer-reviewed: Ja
ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete: Allgemeine Materialwissenschaften
Elektronische Version(en): https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.4c18632 (Zugang: Offen)

BibTeX

@article{0c291561c7784863b2dd2a2a19dcc071,
title = "Interfacial Nanoengineering of Hydrogel Surfaces via Block Copolymer Self-Assembly",
abstract = "Synthetic polymer hydrogels are valuable matrices for biotransformations, drug delivery, and soft implants. While the bulk properties of hydrogels depend on chemical composition and network structure, the critical role of interfacial features is often underestimated. This work presents a nanoscale modification of the gel-water interface using polymer brushes via a straightforward “grafting-to” strategy, offering an alternative to more cumbersome “grafting-from” approaches. Functional block copolymers with photoreactive anchor blocks are successfully self-assembled and UV-immobilized on hydrogel substrates despite their low solid content (<30 wt %). This versatile technique works on both bulk- and surface-immobilized hydrogels, demonstrated on poly(hydroxypropyl acrylate), poly(N-isopropylacrylamide), and alginate gels, allowing precise control over grafting density. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry revealed a homogeneous bilayered architecture. By “brushing-up”, the hydrogels{\textquoteright} interface can be tailored to enhance protein adsorption, improve cell adhesion, or impair the diffusive uptake of small molecules into the bulk gels. This effective interfacial nanoengineering method is broadly applicable for enhancing hydrogel performance across a wide range of applications.",
keywords = "benzophenone, brushing-up, fibroblast adhesion, LCST-type polymer, poly(glycidyl ether) (PGE)",
author = "Andrea Cosimi and St{\"o}bener, {Daniel D.} and Philip Nickl and Robert Schusterbauer and Donskyi, {Ievgen S.} and Marie Weinhart",
note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2025 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.",
year = "2025",
month = feb,
day = "12",
doi = "10.1021/acsami.4c18632",
language = "English",
volume = "17",
pages = "10073--10086",
journal = "ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces",
issn = "1944-8244",
publisher = "American Chemical Society",
number = "6",
}