Fig. 2: Synthesis and characterization of microporous PEG hydrogels by polymerization-induced phase separation (PIPS). | Nature Communications

Fig. 2: Synthesis and characterization of microporous PEG hydrogels by polymerization-induced phase separation (PIPS).

From: Synthetic biodegradable microporous hydrogels for in vitro 3D culture of functional human bone cell networks

Fig. 2

a Illustration of in situ pore formation by PIPS at 37 °C: upon addition of a matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-degradable di-cysteine crosslinker, 4-arm PEG vinylsulfone (4-PEG-VS) is crosslinked in the presence of dextran and hyaluronic acid (HA), leading to in situ pore formation. b Time-lapsed confocal microscopy images showing PIPS between rhodamine-labeled 4-PEG-VS and dextran, scale bar: 10 µm. c Storage modulus (G’) of microporous hydrogels with varying 4-PEG-VS concentration and MMP-degradable peptide or PEG di-thiol as non-degradable crosslinker after 60 min of crosslinking at 37 °C, n = 3 samples (mean ± SD, two-way ANOVA/Tukey). d G’ of degradable and non-degradable microporous hydrogels with varying dextran concentration after 60 min of crosslinking at 37 °C, n = 5 samples for non-degradable 0.2% and 1.0% dextran and n = 3 samples for all other groups (mean ± SD, two-way ANOVA/Tukey). e Stress-relaxation of PEG hydrogels measured by rheology at 5% constant strain, n = 3 samples (mean ± SD).

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