Dual-functional Alginate Crosslinker: Independent Control of Crosslinking Density and Cell Adhesive Properties of Hydrogels via Separate Conjugation Pathways

Abstract

Alginate is an abundant natural polysaccharide widely utilized in various biomedical applications. Although physically-crosslinked alginate hydrogels are highly efficient to fabricate and able to maintain their natural chemical structure, it is difficult to control their physicomechanical and biological properties in a desirable range and manner. To overcome these challenges, we investigated to allow control over material properties as well as fabrication, and to serve cells adequate environments to proliferation. As it is difficult to apply various chemical reactions to alginate due to limited solubility in organic solvents, we rendered alginate by substituting the sodium counterions with tetrabutylammonium conterions and developed two different conjugation pathways. Multifunctional alginate with methacrylate and cell adhesion molecule shows controllable mechanical properties and cell adhesive properties.