Abstract
We present a method for creating ordered 2D structures with material anisotropy from self-assembling micro-sized hydrogel particles (microgels). Microgel platelets of polygonal shapes (hexagon, square, and rhombus), obtained by a continuous scalable lithographic process, are suspended in an aqueous environment and sediment on an inclined plane. As a consequence of gravitational pull, they slide over the plane. Each half of the microgel is composed of a different type of hydrogel [poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM), and poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA), respectively] which exhibit different frictional coefficients when sheared over a substrate. Hence the microgels self-orientate as they slide, and the side with the lower frictional coefficient positions in the direction of sliding. The self-oriented microgels concentrate at the bottom of the tilted plane. Here they form densely packed structures with translational as well as orientational order.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 4718-4725 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Journal of Materials Chemistry B |
| Volume | 9 |
| Issue number | 23 |
| Early online date | 12 May 2021 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 21 Jun 2021 |
Funding
This project has received funding from the Junior GACR project No. 18-19170Y, and UCT Institutional Support of ‘Marie Prochazkova’ fund. I. R. acknowledges his J. E. Purkyne fellowship. The work of C. M. and Y. N. V. K. was supported by the grant of Specific University Research (Grant no. A1_FCHI_2020_005IG and A1_FCHI_2020_005). The work of P. C. was supported by the European Regional Development Fund; OP RDE; Project: “Chemical biology for drugging undruggable targets (Chem-BioDrug)” (no. CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/16_019/0000729).
Keywords
- hydrogel particles
- microgels
- material anisotropy
- lithography