水和によって誘発される形状記憶効果を持つキトサンスキャフォールド
Porous chitosan scaffolds were found to exhibit a shape memory effect activated by hydration. Two scaffold types were examined: non-crosslinked (CHT0) and genipin-crosslinked (CHT1). Characterization involved hydromechanical compressive testing and dynamic mechanical analysis conducted in water-ethanol mixtures of varying compositions. Dehydration via elevated ethanol content exploited the glassy nature of amorphous chitosan to lock in a temporary deformed shape. Subsequent exposure to water disrupted intermolecular hydrogen bonds, enabling large-scale chain mobility at the glass transition and restoring the original permanent shape. Shape fixity ratios exceeded 97.2% for CHT0 and 99.2% for CHT1, while recovery ratios surpassed 70.5% and 98.5%, respectively. In vitro drug loading experiments further demonstrated the potential of these scaffolds as biomaterial candidates for minimally invasive surgical applications and tissue regeneration.
Ethanol-induced dehydration vitrifies the amorphous chitosan component, locking a temporary shape. Water addition disrupts intermolecular hydrogen bonds, triggering glass transition and restoring the scaffold's permanent shape through large-scale segmental chain mobility.
The delivery route is not clearly identifiable from this paper. For hydrogen intake, inhalation is the most efficient route; inhalation, however, carries explosion risk (empirical LFL of 10%; high-concentration devices are not recommended).
See also:
https://h2-papers.org/en/papers/32261594