Rapid Fabrication of Patterned Gels via Microchannel‐Conformal Frontal Polymerization

• Published in: Macromolecular rapid communications. Vol. 42; no. 19; pp. e2100421 - n/a
• Main Authors: Shen, Haixia, Wang, Hao‐Peng, Wang, Cai‐Feng, Zhu, Liangliang, Li, Qing, Chen, Su
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Weinheim Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.10.2021
• Subjects: Continuous production; Energy conservation; Fabrication; fluorescence; frontal polymerization; Gels; Microchannels; Microfluidics; patterned gels; Polymerization
• ISSN: 1022-1336; 1521-3927
• DOI: 10.1002/marc.202100421

From the perspective of both fundamental and applied science, it is extremely advisable to develop a facile and feasible strategy for fabricating gels with defined structures. Herein, the authors report the rapid synthesis of patterned gels by conducting frontal polymerization (FP) at millimeter‐scale (2 mm), where a series of microchannels, including linear‐, parallel‐, divergent‐, snakelike‐, circular‐ and concentric circular channels, were used. They have investigated the effect of various factors (monomer mass ratio, channel size, initiator concentration, and solvent content) on FP at millimeter‐scale, along with the propagating rule of the front during FP in these microchannels. In addition, we developed a new microfluidic‐assisted FP (MFP) strategy by combining the FP and microfluidic technique. Interestingly, the MFP can realize the production of hollow‐structured gel in a rapid and continuous fashion, which have never been reported. Our work not only offers an effective pathway towards patterned gels by the microchannel‐conformal FP, but also gives new insight into the continuous production of hollow‐structured materials. Such a method will be beneficial for fabricating vessel and scaffold materials in a flexible, easy‐to‐perform, time and energy saving way. The authors realize the microchannel‐conformal frontal polymerization (FP) at millimeter‐scale (2 mm). By using a series of microchannels, patterned gels including linear‐, parallel‐, divergent‐, snakelike‐, circular‐, and concentric circular‐shaped gels are successfully achieved within several minutes. In addition, a new microfluidic‐assisted FP is developed, enabling the facile synthesis of hollow‐structured gels in a controllable and continuous manner.