1. A single-component hydrogel comprising a photo-crosslinked polymer
matrix having anisotropic photo-crosslinking density, wherein the matrix
comprises,
5 at least one layer of a component obtained using a first
composition comprising a functionalized photo-crosslinking
polymer; a photo-initiator; and a secondary polymer,
wherein the secondary polymer is physically entangled with the
functionalized photo-crosslinking polymer in the photo-crosslinked
10 polymer matrix;
wherein the hydrogel has bidirectional shape morphing property.
2. The single-component hydrogel as claimed in claim 1, wherein said matrix
further encapsulates a plurality of cells selected from a group consisting of
fibroblast cells, endothelial cells, keratinocytes, osteoblast cells, epithelial
15 cells, stem cells, cancer cells, and mixtures thereof; wherein the plurality of
cells is a cell line selected from the group consisting of NIH3T3 cell line,
HUVEC cell line, SVEC cell line, HaCaT cell line, osteoblast (MC3T3-E1)
cell line, HepG2 cell line, HMSC, HeLa cell line, and MDA-MB-231 cell
line; and wherein the cells are preferably at a concentration in the range of
1×105
cells/ml to 1×108
20 cells/ml.
3. The single-component hydrogel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
functionalized photo-crosslinking polymer is a derivative of a photocrosslinking polymer selected from chitosan, carboxymethyl cellulose,
kappa carrageenan, gelatin, alginate, silk fibroin, sericin, guar gum, xanthan
25 gum, poly (ethylene glycol) or mixtures thereof; and wherein the
functionalized photo-crosslinking polymer is in a weight range of 0.5 % to
30 % of the composition.
4. The single-component hydrogel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
secondary polymer is selected from methyl cellulose, hyaluronic acid,
30 pectin, agar, or mixtures thereof; and wherein the secondary polymer is in a
weight range of 1 % to 15 % of the composition.
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5. The single-component hydrogel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the photoinitiator is selected from lithium phenyl (2,4,6-trimethyl benzoyl)
phosphinate, eosin-Y, bis(2,6-dimethoxybenzoyl)-2,4,4-trimethyl phenyl
phosphine oxide, rose bengal, erythrosine, or mixtures thereof; and wherein
5 the photo-initiator is in a weight range of 0.05 % to 4 % of the composition.
6. The single-component hydrogel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hydrogel
is a 3D printed hydrogel.
7. A dual-component hydrogel comprising a photo-crosslinked polymer
matrix having anisotropic photo-crosslinking density, wherein the matrix
10 comprises,
at least one layer of a first component obtained using a first
composition comprising at least one functionalized first photocrosslinking polymer in a weight range of 1 % to 20 % of the first
composition, a photo-initiator in a weight range of 0.05 % to 4 % of
15 the first composition, and a secondary polymer in a weight range of
1 % to 15 % of the first composition, wherein the first photocrosslinking polymer is selected from carboxymethyl cellulose,
kappa carrageenan, gelatin, alginate, silk fibroin, sericin, guar gum,
xanthan gum, or mixtures thereof; and
20 at least one layer of a second component obtained using a second
composition comprising at least one functionalized second photocrosslinking polymer in a weight range of 0.5 % to 30 % of the
second composition, a photo-initiator in a weight range of 0.05 %
to 4 % of the second composition, and a secondary polymer in a
25 weight range of 1 % to 15 % of the second composition, wherein in
the second photo-crosslinking polymer is selected from chitosan,
kappa carrageenan, gelatin, alginate, silk fibroin, sericin, guar gum,
xanthan gum, poly(ethylene glycol) or mixtures thereof;
wherein the secondary polymer is physically entangled with the photo30 crosslinking polymer in the photo-crosslinked matrix of each component;
wherein the hydrogel has bidirectional shape morphing property.
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8. The dual-component hydrogel as claimed in claim 7, wherein viscosity of
the first composition measured at a shear rate from 0.1 s-1
to 100 s-1
is in
the range of 103 mPa.s to 107 mPa.s; and viscosity of the second
composition measured at a shear rate from 0.1 s-1
to 100 s1
is in the range
of 103 mPa.s to 10 5
7 mPa.s.
9. The dual-component hydrogel as claimed in claim 7, wherein said hydrogel
is a bidirectional shape morphing hydrogel characterized by changes in the
bending angle, wherein the maximum bending angle of the first component
is in the range of 50 to 900 degrees, preferably greater than 300 degrees;
10 and the maximum bending angle of the second component is in the range of
50 to 900 degrees, preferably greater than 300 degrees.
10. The dual-component hydrogel as claimed in claim 7, wherein the first
component has an equilibrium mass swelling value in an aqueous medium
in the range of 50 % to 500 %; and the second component has an equilibrium
15 mass swelling value in an aqueous medium in the range of 50 % to 500 %