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Design of a highly-tailorable hydrogel for potential biomedical applications
Date
2025-09-30
Abstract
The development of multifunctional hydrogel-based biomaterials has gained increasing attention in biomedical engineering applications due to their biocompatibility, biodegradability, high swelling capacity and tuneable mechanical characteristics. However, many conventional hydrogels often lack the attributes necessary for more advanced applications such as long-term stability, high mechanical strength, electrical conductivity and bioactivity. Various methods have emerged to improve their properties including composite hydrogels, formation of scaffolds, conductive additives and surface functionalisation. The main research aim of this thesis is the development of highly tailorable conductive composite biomaterials that can be tailored through variations in synthesis parameters such as crosslinker addition, nanoparticle (NP) addition, lyophilisation and surface coating of polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEMs). Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): hyaluronic acid (PEDOT:HA)nanoparticles (NPs), synthesised through oxidative miniemulsion, were incorporated into a hydrogel composite of poly(acrylic) acid (PAA), hyaluronic acid (HA) and lignin (LIG). Characterisation techniques used on these conductive hydrogel materials include Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), rheology, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), swelling studies, mechanical testing, thermal testing, conductivity testing and in vitro biocompatibility studies. Initial hydrogel synthesis routes resulted in conductive, mechanically strong, adhesive and highly swellable materials that exhibit good hydrolytic stability and low cytotoxicity in vitro. The poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) and HA combination formed a biocompatible, rapidly crosslinkable hydrogel, while the addition of LIG contributed to bio adhesive properties and NPs imparted electrical conductivity. Lyophilisation of the hydrogel produced a highly tailorable porous scaffold (0.78 – 71.98 µm) with a range of compressive strengths (11 kPa to 4.54 MPa) and swell ratios (1725 – 8472%). Coating of scaffolds in PEMs of poly(L-lyseine) (PLL) and HA improved the biocompatibility of the scaffolds, while variations of NP concentration and PEM layer coating thickness provided a balance between biocompatibility, mechanical strength and electrical conductivity. Through variations in synthesis parameters, PAA/HA/LIG hydrogels with PEDOT:HA NPs provide a highly tailorable hydrogel for potential application in wound healing and motion monitoring. Through lyophilisation and further surface coating, their potential as implantable materials has been explored for possible use in tissue engineering strategies and dynamic interfaces for sensing applications.
Supervisor
Description
Publisher
University of Limerick
Citation
Files
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Winters_2025_Design.pdf
Adobe PDF, 6.36 MB
Funding code
Funding Information
Sustainable Development Goals
External Link
Type
Thesis
Rights
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/