Thermo-Rheological Properties of Cross-Linked Catechol-Modified Tetra-Arm PEG Hydrogels
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Crosslinks improve mechanical properties and enable versatile hydrogels with features like reversibility and self-healing. Inspired by byssus, we used reversible iron-catechol crosslinks to enhance these properties in tetra-arm polyethylene glycol (PEG) hydrogels. We studied the thermo-rheological characteristics to understand cross-linking effects on PEG gels. Hydrogels were prepared by mixing 12 wt% catechol-modified 10kD tetra-PEG (4-PCA) with Fe(III) ions at pH 7 and 10. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measured the melting temperature (Tm) and crystallization temperature (Tc). Rheological properties were assessed at temperatures of 10, 20, 30, and 40°C. While the Tc of 4-PCA is near room temperature, it decreased by about 20°C in the bis gel. Loss and storage modulus varied with temperature between Tm and Tc of 4-PCA-bis gel, highlighting the influence of polymer chain crystallization and crosslink on rheological properties.