Issue 4, 2021

Poly[N-(2-acetamidoethyl)acrylamide] supramolecular hydrogels with multiple H-bond crosslinking enable mouse brain embedding and expansion microscopy

Abstract

Supramolecular hydrogels attract extensive attention as waterborne biocompatible materials like biological tissues. Here we developed poly[N-(2-acetamidoethyl)acrylamide] (PAAE) supramolecular hydrogels with multiple hydrogen bonds, which exhibit ideal mechanical performances, such as strong resistance to compression and stretch, high stability in acidic or high ionic strength solution, excellent waterborne adhesiveness, self-healing and swelling behaviors. The small molecular precursor for PAAE hydrogels possesses great solubility up to 70 wt% in deionized water and superior infiltration capability to mouse brain tissues at 5 °C, and can be in situ polymerized at 30–45 °C and swollen in deionized water with a 1.75 times linear expansion factor. There is no noticeable loss of fluorescence intensity during the whole process from small molecular infiltration and polymerization to expansion. The mouse brain slices were embedded and used for expansion microscopy with enhanced optical resolution and preserved structure integrity.

Graphical abstract: Poly[N-(2-acetamidoethyl)acrylamide] supramolecular hydrogels with multiple H-bond crosslinking enable mouse brain embedding and expansion microscopy

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Research Article
Submitted
23 Sept. 2020
Accepted
27 Nov. 2020
First published
23 Dec. 2020

Mater. Chem. Front., 2021,5, 1795-1805

Poly[N-(2-acetamidoethyl)acrylamide] supramolecular hydrogels with multiple H-bond crosslinking enable mouse brain embedding and expansion microscopy

P. Zhao, C. Li, Y. Wang, C. Fan, X. Li, H. Gong, Q. Luo and M. Zhu, Mater. Chem. Front., 2021, 5, 1795 DOI: 10.1039/D0QM00733A

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements