Synthesis and Spatiotemporal Modification of Biocompatible and Stimuli-Responsive Carboxymethyl Cellulose Hydrogels Using Thiol-Norbornene Chemistry.

Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) is functionalized with norbornene groups to undergo thiol-norbornene cross-linking reactions. Hydrogels synthesized from a single norbornene-modified carboxymethyl cellulose (NorCMC) via a light-initiated thiol-ene cross-linking reaction with a variety of dithiol cross-linkers yield hydrogels with a tunable compression modulus ranging from 1.7 to 103 kPa.