Highly Elastic and Conductive Human‐Based Protein Hybrid Hydrogels

• DOI: 10.1002/adma.201503255
• Publication Date: 2015-11-09T17:22:21Z
• Authors: Nasim Annabi; Su Ryon Shin; Ali Tamayol; Mario Miscuglio; Mohsen Afshar Bak...; Alexander Assmann; Pooria Mostafalu; Jeong‐Yun Sun; Suzanne Mithieux; Louis Cheung; Xiaowu (Shirley) ...; Anthony S. Weiss; Ali Khademhosseini
• Keywords: Models, Molecular; Biomedical Engineering; Molecular Conformation; Bioengineering; cardiac tissue engineering; Engineering; Models; Tropoelastin; Tensile Strength; Humans; Nanoscience & Nanotechnology; hydrogels; tropoelastins; Electric Conductivity; Molecular; Hydrogels; Oxides; Materials Engineering; graphene oxides; Elasticity; Physical sciences; Chemical sciences; Physical Sciences; Chemical Sciences; elasticity; Graphite; Biotechnology

A highly elastic hybrid hydrogel of methacryloyl-substituted recombinant human tropoelastin (MeTro) and graphene oxide (GO) nanoparticles are developed. The synergistic effect of these two materials significantly enhances both ultimate strain (250%), reversible rotation (9700°), and the fracture energy (38.8 ± 0.8 J m(-2) ) in the hybrid network. Furthermore, improved electrical signal propagation and subsequent contraction of the muscles connected by hybrid hydrogels are observed in ex vivo tests.