Mechanical Reinforcement of Low‐Concentration Alginate Fibers by Microfluidic Embedding of Multiple Cores

• Published in: Macromolecular materials and engineering Vol. 303; no. 3
• Main Authors: Yoon, Dong Hyun, Tanaka, Daiki, Sekiguchi, Tetsushi, Shoji, Shuichi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Weinheim John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01-03-2018
• Subjects: 3D flow; 3D structure; alginate fiber; Biological materials; Continuous flow; Embedding; Fibers; Hydrogels; multiple cores; Polydimethylsiloxane; reinforcing materials; Silicone resins
• ISSN: 1438-7492; 1439-2054
• DOI: 10.1002/mame.201700516

This paper presents mechanically reinforced low‐concentration alginate fibers by embedding inner cores of high‐concentration alginate. 3D structures by stacking multiple polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) layers allow the microfluidic formation and control of the isolated cores in the continuous flow. The alginate hydrogel fibers are simply spun, and the compartments, central core, surrounding cores, and outer shell layer are successfully verified. The results demonstrate the great potential for the development of complex fibrous materials, particularly for biological applications, which require specific morphology and composition of the fibers.
Mechanical reinforcement of low‐concentration alginate fiber by embedding multiple inner cores of high‐concentration alginate is reported. 3D PDMS structure and flow control allow one‐step formation of the complex and precise fiber morphology.