Versatile Fabrication Approach of Conductive Hydrogels via Copolymerization with Vinyl Monomers

Abstract

Functionalized poly(ethylene dioxythiophene) (f-PEDOT) was copolymerized with two vinyl monomers of different hydrophilicity, acrylic acid and hydroxyethyl methacrylate, to produce electroconductive hydrogels with a range of physical and electronic properties. These hydrogels not only possessed tailored physical properties, such as swelling ratios and mechanical properties, but also displayed electroactivity dependent on the chemical composition of the network. Raman spectroscopy indicated that the functional PEDOT in the hydrogels is in an oxidized form, most likely accounting for the good electrochemical response of the hydrogels observed in physiological buffer. In vitro cell studies showed that cardiac cells respond differently when seeded on hydrogel substrates with different compositions. This study presents a facile approach for the fabrication of electroconductive hydrogels with a range of properties, paving the way for scaffolds that can meet the requirements of different electroresponsive tissues.

Stretchable Conductive Polymers and Composites Based on PEDOT and PEDOT:PSS

“…An alternative approach to conductive hydrogels is by the crosslinking of PEDOT bearing carboxylic acids and methacrylamide functional groups (f‐PEDOT) with PEG‐diacrylate and acrylic acid . This approach, while requiring a longer synthetic sequence than for the IPN, allowed anchoring of the conductive polymer in the hydrogel to prevent leaching of the polymer during swelling.…”

Toward Cardiac Regeneration: Combination of Pluripotent Stem Cell-Based Therapies and Bioengineering Strategies

“…A valid alternative option is represented by polythiophene polymers, that are biocompatible and highly soluble in water (Hempel et al, 2017;Sinha et al, 2017). In particular, poly(3,4ethy lenedioxythiophene):polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) is a promising candidate, able to support mouse stem cell-derived CMs attachment (Jiang et al, 2017). Using these polymers, Roshanbinfar et al (2018) developed an electroconductive biohybrid hydrogel, which is able to enhance maturation and physiological properties of engineered cardiac tissues.…”

“…Possibility to customize material's properties. Environmental stability and electrical properties Low biocompatibility and insoluble in water Hsiao et al, 2013;Razak et al, 2015;Wang et al, 2016 • Electroconductive Polythiophene polymers Possibility to customize material's properties, soluble in water Limited processability Richardson-Burns et al, 2007;Kaur et al, 2015 • Electroconductive PEDOT:PSS polymers Possibility to customize material's properties, support cell attachment, thermal, electrical and chemical stability Limited processability, need to be combined with other supporting materials Hempel et al, 2017;Jiang et al, 2017;Roshanbinfar et al, 2018Roshanbinfar et al, , 2019 Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology | www.frontiersin.org…”

Conjugated Polymers in Bioelectronics: Addressing the Interface Challenge

“…It is evident from these in vitro studies that side‐functionalization of CPs modulates the interface between the conjugated polymer and cells. Furthermore, through these modifications the polymer can be made water soluble, which is a significant benefit in terms of processability, morphological control, and fine tuning of physical properties . Additionally, this will be a significant advance toward realizing the 3D printing of electroresponsive tissue, where the conductive bioink can also act as the cell media.…”