Thiol-ene clickable gelatin-hyaluronic acid cryogels

Cryogels based on biopolymers offer exceptional properties, making them highly suitable for various applications in tissue engineering and drug delivery. A promising area of research in the field of biomedicine involves the injectable formation of cryogels. This advancement, combined with the biocompatibility of cryogels synthesized using biopolymers, holds great potential in the development of innovative systems for the human body. In our study, we focused on synthesizing advanced generation cryogels by employing a combination of UV radiation and "thiolene" chemistry. Our starting materials were natural biopolymers, gelatin, and hyaluronic acid, which were previously functionalized with allyl glycidyl ether. Furthermore, we extensively characterized the properties of these cryogels. The identification of reactive carbon-carbon double bonds in prefunctionalized biopolymers, specifically gelatin and hyaluronic acid, was achieved through H-1-NMR spectroscopic analysis. The study further examined the alterations in swelling capacity and morphology of cryogels obtained using a combination of UV radiation and thiolene chemistry. The results indicated that cryogels exhibited larger pore structures and greater swelling capacities compared to conventional hydrogels. These findings suggest the potential utilization of these cryogels in various biomedical applications, highlighting their promising nature as materials. [GRAPHICS] .