Freeform fabrication of repairable hydrogel architectures

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K18014
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Polymer/Textile materials; Biomedical engineering/Biomaterial science and engineering
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: Asoh Taka-Aki 大阪大学, 工学研究科, 准教授 (50548378)
• Research Collaborator: KATO Masatoshi ; NAKAMURA Megumi ; YAMAMOTO Tatsuya ; TAKAI Shiho
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: ヒドロゲル / 接着 / 立体造形 / 修復 / アクチュエータ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, we reported the rapid fabrication of hydrogel architectures and repair of broken hydrogels by adhesion of oppositely charged gel-particles. The mechanical strength of the hydrogel architectures was able to be controlled by changing the charge density and/or mixing ratio of larger and smaller gel-particles. The rapid repair of broken hydrogel architectures and deletion-formed hydrogels was performed by gap filling using gel-particle paste. We also prepared the bi-layered soft actuators which shows bending motion in response to temperature. The reported hydrogel architectures would be useful for repair of soft materials and fabrication of functional soft actuators with green manufacturing processes.

Free Research Field

機能性高分子

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は、ゲル粒子の接着制御によってヒドロゲル立体造形の応用技術を創出した。本課題で開発したヒドロゲルの電気泳動接着は、電場を用いて水溶性高分子を操作し、“水溶性高分子鎖の糸”を用いて“ゲル界面を縫い合わせる”接着手法であり、まさにナノサージェリーと呼べる革新的技術である。従来困難であったヒドロゲルの立体造形を達成しうる、独創的かつ合理的設計であり、高分子材料の3次元プリンティングが躍進している現代社会において大きな波及効果が期待でき、大きなインパクトを産業界に与える。