Reversibly Assembled Electroconductive Hydrogel via a Host–Guest Interaction for 3D Cell Culture

Abstract

The study of cells responding to an electroconductive environment is impeded by the lack of a method, which would allow the encapsulation of cells in an extracellular matrix-like 3D electroactive matrix, and more challengingly, permit a simple mechanism to release cells for further characterization. Herein, we report a polysaccharide-based conductive hydrogel system formed via a β-cyclodextrin-adamantane host–guest interaction. Oxidative polymerization of 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) in the presence of adamantyl-modified sulfated alginate (S-Alg-Ad) results in bio-electroconductive polymer PEDOT:S-Alg-Ad, which can form hydrogel with poly-β-cyclodextrin (Pβ-CD). The PEDOT:S-Alg-Ad/Pβ-CD hydrogels can be tuned on aspects of mechanical and electrical properties, exhibit self-healing feature, and are injectable. Electron microscopy suggested that the difference in stiffness and conductivity is associated with the nacre-like layered nanostructures when different sizes of PEDOT:S-Alg-Ad nanoparticles were used. Myoblast C2C12 cells were encapsulated in the conductive hydrogel and exhibited proliferation rate comparable to that in nonconductive S-Alg-Ad/Pβ-CD hydrogel. The cells could be released from the hydrogels by adding the β-CD monomer. Astonishingly, the conductive hydrogel can dramatically promote myotube-like structure formation, which is not in the non-electroconductive hydrogel. The ability to embed and release cells in an electroconductive environment will open new doors for cell culture and tissue engineering.

Cytocompatible, Injectable, and Electroconductive Soft Adhesives with Hybrid Covalent/Noncovalent Dynamic Network

“…The polymerization of EDOT with Heparin or PSS as counterions was validated using 1 H NMR and FTIR ( Figure 2C and Figure S1, Supporting Information). [26] We tuned the ratios between EDOT and sulfated polymer to control the particle sizes of different conductive polymers within a similar range. The peaks at 1085 and 1144 cm −1 correspond to the COC bond stretching in the ethylene dioxy ring.…”

“…The peaks at 972, 830, and 681 cm −1 correspond to the CS bond stretching vibrations in the thiophene ring . The particle sizes of conductive polymers can affect the rheological properties of self‐assembled hydrogels . We tuned the ratios between EDOT and sulfated polymer to control the particle sizes of different conductive polymers within a similar range.…”

Conductive Hydrogels with Dynamic Reversible Networks for Biomedical Applications

“…Adapted with permission. [76] Copyright 2019, American Chemical Society. c) The process to prepare the pure a PEDOT:PSS hydrogel with DMSO as an additive.…”

Molecule-Responsive Supramolecular Hydrogel Constructed from Pillar[5]arene Based on Host-Guest System

“…Supporting Information 1 H NMR, 13 C NMR and ESI-MS spectra of M; 1 H NMR spectrum of BP5 and ESI-MS spectrum of the complex between BP5 and M. The Supporting Information is available free of charge via the Internet at http://sioc-journal.cn.…”

“…[10 ～ 12] Stimulus-responsive properties have been widely used in the construction of functional materials through host-guest interaction. Recently, many stimulus-responsive systems have been developed to fabricate smart materials, [13,14] among which responsive hydrogels that can reversibly switch between free-flowing liquid and free-standing gel states have aroused increasing interest due to their applications in molecule sensors.…”