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Lookup NU author(s): Meng Pan, Dr Oana Bretcanu, Fie Xie, Professor Katarina NovakovicORCiD
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Hydrogels are three-dimensional crosslinked networks of hydrophilic polymer chains, relevant for various biomedical applications, such as tissue engineering and controlled drug delivery. The functionality and performance of hydrogels are closely related to their degree of crosslinking, a key determinant of their properties. This study explores chitosan-based hydrogel composites, utilizing genipin as a crosslinker and incorporating apatite wollastonite (AW) powder as the inorganic phase. The introduction of AW facilitates the formation of calcium phosphate (CaP), whose dissolution products (e.g., silica, calcium ions) promote osteogenesis, leading to the mineralization of hydrogels with CaP phases. This process ensures chemical bonding with bones and stimulates bone regeneration. However, the introduction of AW increases the pH of the chitosan solution, hindering complete dissolution of chitosan. To overcome this challenge, the study demonstrates the use of buffering solutions with constant pH but varying ionic strengths to achieve complete dissolution of chitosan and explores the impact of ionic strength on the crosslinking reaction. The methods adopted include using fluorescence intensity (FI) measurements for dynamic studies of chitosan-AW interactions during scaffold formation. Gelation time studies utilized rheological tests, material strength was evaluated through compression tests, and gravimetric analysis was used to explore the weight changes of hydrogels in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) solution.
Author(s): Pan M, Bretcanu O, Xie F, Deehan D, Novakovic K
Publication type: Conference Proceedings (inc. Abstract)
Publication status: Published
Conference Name: UK Society for Biomaterials Conference
Year of Conference: 2024
Print publication date: 10/06/2024
Online publication date: 10/06/2024
Acceptance date: 06/05/2024
URL: https://www.uksb.org.uk/uksb2024/
