Issue 4, 2016

Polysaccharide-based freestanding multilayered membranes exhibiting reversible switchable properties

Abstract

The design of self-standing multilayered structures based on biopolymers has been attracting increasing interest due to their potential in the biomedical field. However, their use has been limited due to their gel-like properties. Herein, we report the combination of covalent and ionic cross-linking, using natural and non-cytotoxic cross-linkers, such as genipin and calcium chloride (CaCl2). Combining both cross-linking types the mechanical properties of the multilayers increased and the water uptake ability decreased. The ionic cross-linking of multilayered chitosan (CHI)–alginate (ALG) films led to freestanding membranes with multiple interesting properties, such as: improved mechanical strength, calcium-induced adhesion and shape memory ability. The use of CaCl2 also offered the possibility of reversibly switching all of these properties by simple immersion in a chelate solution. We attribute the switch-ability of the mechanical properties, shape memory ability and the propensity for induced-adhesion to the ionic cross-linking of the multilayers. These findings suggested the potential of the developed polysaccharide freestanding membranes in a plethora of research fields, including in biomedical and biotechnological fields.

Graphical abstract: Polysaccharide-based freestanding multilayered membranes exhibiting reversible switchable properties

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
02 Oct 2015
Accepted
19 Nov 2015
First published
20 Nov 2015

Soft Matter, 2016,12, 1200-1209

Author version available

Polysaccharide-based freestanding multilayered membranes exhibiting reversible switchable properties

J. M. Silva, S. G. Caridade, R. L. Reis and J. F. Mano, Soft Matter, 2016, 12, 1200 DOI: 10.1039/C5SM02458G

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