3D-Printable Granular Hydrogel Composed of Hyaluronic Acid-Chitosan Hybrid Polyelectrolyte Complex Microgels
Abstract
When it comes to 3D printing of hydrogels, optimizing rheological properties is crucial to ensure (i) a smooth flow of the ink through the nozzle during printing and (ii) structural integrity postprinting. Granular hydrogels offer excellent printability due to their intrinsic yield-stress properties; however, they typically lack post-printing integrity in aqueous environments. To address this limitation, a novel approach is proposed to integrate the yield-stress behavior of granular hydrogels with polyelectrolyte complexes, which exhibit tunable mechanical properties and structural integrity in aqueous media. In this approach, hybrid microgels composed of chemically co-crosslinked hyaluronic acid-chitosan polyelectrolytes are prepared in a high-salt medium to shield electrostatic interactions and then jammed to form a printable granular hydrogel. By reducing the salt concentration below the critical threshold for electrostatic association, intraand interparticle electrostatic interactions are activated, causing both the microgels and the granular hydrogel to shrink. This process yields a hydrogel with tunable stiffness, packing density, and dimensions. Overall, this strategy paves the way for the design of 3D hydrogel constructs with dynamic properties.
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BibTeX
@article{amirsadeghi20263dprintable,
title = {{3D-Printable Granular Hydrogel Composed of Hyaluronic Acid-Chitosan Hybrid Polyelectrolyte Complex Microgels}},
author = {Armin Amirsadeghi and Shahriar Mahdavi and Paula Jager and Marleen Kamperman and Julien Es Sayed},
journal = {Biomacromolecules},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.1021/acs.biomac.5c00228},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05852766v1},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - 3D-Printable Granular Hydrogel Composed of Hyaluronic Acid-Chitosan Hybrid Polyelectrolyte Complex Microgels
AU - Armin Amirsadeghi
AU - Shahriar Mahdavi
AU - Paula Jager
AU - Marleen Kamperman
AU - Julien Es Sayed
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/04
JO - Biomacromolecules
DO - 10.1021/acs.biomac.5c00228
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05852766v1
AB - When it comes to 3D printing of hydrogels, optimizing rheological properties is crucial to ensure (i) a smooth flow of the ink through the nozzle during printing and (ii) structural integrity postprinting. Granular hydrogels offer excellent printability due to their intrinsic yield-stress properties; however, they typically lack post-printing integrity in aqueous environments. To address this limitation, a novel approach is proposed to integrate the yield-stress behavior of granular hydrogels with polyelectrolyte complexes, which exhibit tunable mechanical properties and structural integrity in aqueous media. In this approach, hybrid microgels composed of chemically co-crosslinked hyaluronic acid-chitosan polyelectrolytes are prepared in a high-salt medium to shield electrostatic interactions and then jammed to form a printable granular hydrogel. By reducing the salt concentration below the critical threshold for electrostatic association, intraand interparticle electrostatic interactions are activated, causing both the microgels and the granular hydrogel to shrink. This process yields a hydrogel with tunable stiffness, packing density, and dimensions. Overall, this strategy paves the way for the design of 3D hydrogel constructs with dynamic properties.
SN - 1525-7797
SN - 1526-4602
ER -