Synthesis and characterization of hydrogels with modified pullulan, reinforced with cellulose nanocrystals.

Abstract

The search for biocompatible materials that can aid in the regeneration of organic tissues is of great interest in medicine, given the challenges in treating diseases. Biocompatible and biodegradable hydrogels have been studied in the preparation of scaffolds for the growth of different types of cells, using 3D bioprinting, due to their structural characteristics that mimic an extracellular matrix, sites that allow cell migration and aid in tissue recovery. In this context, pullulan has been chosen by several authors, as it can be easily modified, allowing its optimization for the formation of hydrogels with other polymers, stable under the desired conditions. However, some hydrogels present non-ideal rheological and mechanical characteristics. One of the options for optimizing these properties is the incorporation of nanofillers in the hydrogels. Thus, in this research project, the main objective is to synthesize hydrogels with modified pullulan, using Cellulose Nano Crystals (CNC) as reinforcement material and to study the printability of the obtained hydrogels. Modification of pullulan will be carried out to obtain carboxymethylated pullulan, with different degrees of modification, for the preparation of hydrogels reinforced with cellulose nanocrystals. The study of the rheological properties of the hydrogels and the properties of the materials obtained will be carried out in partnership with the Ecole de Technologie Supérieure (ETS), of the University of Quebec in Montreal (UQAM).