Mechanical properties of a reversible, DNA-crosslinked polyacrylamide hydrogel

David C. Lin, Bernard Yurke, Noshir A. Langrana

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

214 Scopus citations

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 languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)104-110
Number of pages7
JournalJournal of Biomechanical Engineering
Volume126
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 2004
Externally publishedYes

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