A Study on Dual-Response Composite Hydrogels Based on Oriented Nanocellulose

Abstract

In nature, many biological tissues are composed of oriented structures, which endow tissues with special properties and functions. Although traditional hydrogels can achieve a high level of biomimetic composition, the orderly arrangement of internal structures remains a challenge. Therefore, it is of great significance to synthesize hydrogels with oriented structures easily and quickly. In this study, we first proposed and demonstrated a fabrication process for producing a well-ordered and dual-responsive cellulose nanofibers + hyaluronic acid methacrylate (CN+HAMA) hydrogels through an extrusion-based three-dimensional (3D) printing process. CN in the CN+HAMA hydrogels are directionally aligned after extrusion due to shear stress. In addition, the synthesized hydrogels exhibited responsive behaviors to both temperature and ultraviolet light. Since the temperature-responsiveness is reversible, the hydrogels can transit between the gelation and solution states while retaining their original qualities. Furthermore, the developed well-oriented CN+HAMA hydrogels induced directional cell growth, paving the way for potential applications in ordered biological soft-tissue repair.