Abstract
Mechanical properties of a polyacrylamide gel with reversible DNA crosslinks are presented. In this system, three DNA strands replace traditional chemical crosslinkers. In contrast to thermoset chemically crosslinked polyacrylamide, the new hydrogel is thermoreversible; crosslink dissociation without the addition of heat is also feasible by introducing a specific removal DNA strand. This hydrogel is characterized by a critical crosslink concentration at which gelation occurs. Below the critical point, a characteristic temperature exists at which a transition in viscosity is observed. Both temperature-dependent viscosity and elastic modulus of the material are functions of crosslink density.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 104-110 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | Journal of Biomechanical Engineering |
Volume | 126 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Feb 2004 |
Externally published | Yes |