Fabrication of Sodium Trimetaphosphate-Based PEDOT:PSS Conductive Hydrogels
Author:
Reynolds Madelyn1, Stoy Lindsay M.1ORCID, Sun Jindi1ORCID, Opoku Amponsah Prince Emmanuel1, Li Lin1ORCID, Soto Misael1, Song Shang12ORCID
Affiliation:
1. Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85719, USA 2. Departments of Materials Science and Engineering, Neuroscience GIDP, and BIO5 Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85719, USA
Abstract
Conductive hydrogels are highly attractive for biomedical applications due to their ability to mimic the electrophysiological environment of biological tissues. Although conducting polymer polythiophene-poly-(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) and polystyrene sulfonate (PSS) alone exhibit high conductivity, the addition of other chemical compositions could further improve the electrical and mechanical properties of PEDOT:PSS, providing a more promising interface with biological tissues. Here we study the effects of incorporating crosslinking additives, such as glycerol and sodium trimetaphosphate (STMP), in developing interpenetrating PEDOT:PSS-based conductive hydrogels. The addition of glycerol at a low concentration maintained the PEDOT:PSS conductivity with enhanced wettability but decreased the mechanical stiffness. Increasing the concentration of STMP allowed sufficient physical crosslinking with PEDOT:PSS, resulting in improved hydrogel conductivity, wettability, and rheological properties without glycerol. The STMP-based PEDOT:PSS conductive hydrogels also exhibited shear-thinning behaviors, which are potentially favorable for extrusion-based 3D bioprinting applications. We demonstrate an interpenetrating conducting polymer hydrogel with tunable electrical and mechanical properties for cellular interactions and future tissue engineering applications.
Funder
Technology and Research Initiative Fund (TRIF) from the University of Arizona NASA NSF
Subject
Polymers and Plastics,Organic Chemistry,Biomaterials,Bioengineering
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