Dynamic cross-linking of an alginate-acrylamide tough hydrogel system: time-resolved mapping of gel self-assembly.

Hydrogels are a popular class of biomaterial that are used in a number of commercial applications (; contact lenses, drug delivery, and prophylactics). Alginate-based tough hydrogel systems, interpenetrated with acrylamide, reportedly form both ionic and covalent cross-links, giving rise to their remarkable mechanical properties. In this work, we explore the nature, onset and extent of such hybrid bonding interactions between the complementary networks in a model double-network alginate-acrylamide system, using a host of characterisation techniques (; FTIR, Raman, UV-vis, and fluorescence spectroscopies), in a time-resolved manner.

Durable Antimicrobial Behaviour from Silver-Graphene Coated Medical Textile Composites.

Silver nanoparticle (AgNP) and AgNP/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanocomposite impregnated medical grade polyviscose textile pads were formed using a facile, surface-mediated wet chemical solution-dipping process, without further annealing. Surfaces were sequentially treated in situ with a sodium borohydride (NaBH) reducing agent, prior to formation, deposition, and fixation of Ag nanostructures and/or rGO nanosheets throughout porous non-woven (i.e.