Approaches to control the microstructure of hydrogels are critical for both the control of cell-material interactions and the design of stimuli-responsive hydrogels. Herein, we report a versatile approach for the synthesis of anisotropic acrylamide hydrogels by lyotropic chromonic liquid crystal (LCLC) templating. Specifically, acrylamide hydrogels with aligned porosity can be obtained by polymerizing the network in the presence of an aligned chromonic phase. The resulting hydrogels have tunable pore size and distinct mechanical anisotropy. The elastic moduli measured parallel and perpendicular to the LCLC order are 140.2 kPa ± 27.3 kPa and 14.2 kPa ± 2.1 kPa and have a 4-fold larger swelling normal to the LCLC director than along the LCLC director. This anisotropy can be patterned by using surface anchoring to locally control the nematic director, which in turn patterns the polymer network. The director can be patterned both within the plane and through the thickness of the hydrogels. Fibroblasts cultured on the resulting hydrogels align along the pore walls, which in turn provides a powerful approach to control cell orientation. This new strategy to make anisotropic hydrogels can have potential applications for patternable tissue scaffolds, soft robotics, or microfluidic devices.

Anisotropic hydrogels templated by lyotropic chromonic liquid crystals

Macromolecular Chemistry: The Second Century

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ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Expo

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.