Nanofibers as precursors for the rapid formation of hydrogels

Abstract

Hydrogels can be used in surgeries, which require a support material to maintain the correct anatomy. One major limitation is however the time required for the preparation of hydrogels under urgent conditions. Herein, we report a new method for a very fast preparation of hydrogels at room temperature. Nanofibers of dextran containing vinyl groups produced by electrospinning are loaded with redox- or photo-initiators for radical polymerization. Once dissolved in water, the nanofibers yield hydrogels either spontaneously or upon irradiation with UV light. We also show that the nanofibers can be loaded with active fillers so that hydrogels embedding nanocapsules are obtained. This concept could be applied for the rapid preparation of functional hydrogels which are needed as implants.