Acta Biomaterialia ( IF 9.4 ) Pub Date : 2020-07-08 , DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2020.07.005 Yiwen Zhang 1 , Suchun Ji 1 , Nannan Jian 2 , Kai Zhang 2 , Xinqiang He 3 , Huiling Duan 4
|
130 years ago, Darwin observed that caudicles in vandoid orchids possess considerable elasticity and further hypothesized that their elasticity serves to improve pollination efficiency. However, there has been no study that seeks to either quantitatively backup Darwin's hypothesis or characterize this natural material for practical use. Here we show that vandoid caudicles are a novel kind of soft material with extremely high extensibility (1190%), low modulus (160 kPa) and density lower than that of water. Vandoid caudicles contain carotenoids that attach to basal polymers through noncovalent interactions. Inspired by the chemical structure of caudicles, we synthesize calcium-alginate/polyacrylamide hydrogels supplemented with carotenoids and demonstrate that their strength as well as stretchability are enhanced two-fold. Our findings identify a new carotenoid-based material system with unique properties that approach the current boundaries of the Ashby chart, demonstrating potential application of carotenoids as biocompatible reinforcing agent for hydrogels.
Statement of Significance
We have investigated the microstructure, mechanical properties and chemical components of vandoid caudicles as an elastic plant tissue and demonstrated a bio-inspired design that can enhance the elasticity of hydrogels. Existing research on vandoid caudicles are very few and mainly focus on their phylogenetics and developmental process, and the potential application of caudicles in the field of material sciences remains unexplored. Our results showed that caudicles are more stretchable than most natural and synthetic elastomers and have a modulus similar to hydrogels. Carotenoids, an important chemical component of caudicles, can be used as supplements to hydrogels to improve their strength and stretchability.
中文翻译：
Vandoid兰花中的小瓶：一种基于类胡萝卜素的软质材料，具有独特的性能。
130年前，达尔文（Darwin）观察到类胡萝卜素兰花中的小球具有相当大的弹性，并进一步假设它们的弹性有助于提高授粉效率。但是，还没有研究试图定量地证明达尔文的假设或表征这种天然材料以供实际使用。在这里，我们显示了类胡萝卜素是一种新型的柔软材料，具有极高的延展性（1190％），低模量（160 kPa）且密度低于水。静脉样小核包含类胡萝卜素，它们通过非共价相互作用附着在基础聚合物上。受包囊的化学结构启发，我们合成了补充了类胡萝卜素的海藻酸钙/聚丙烯酰胺水凝胶，并证明它们的强度和可拉伸性提高了两倍。
重要声明
我们已经研究了作为弹性植物组织的类胡萝卜素微囊的微观结构，力学性能和化学成分，并展示了可增强水凝胶弹性的生物启发性设计。对类胡萝卜素的现有研究很少，主要集中在它们的系统发育和发育过程上，并且在材料科学领域的潜在应用尚待探索。我们的结果表明，与大多数天然和合成弹性体相比，甲壳素更具拉伸性，并且模量与水凝胶相似。类胡萝卜素是心脏的重要化学成分，可以用作水凝胶的补充剂，以改善其强度和可拉伸性。
京公网安备 11010802027423号