Proteoglycans and Glycosaminoglycans Improve Toughness of Biocompatible Double Network Hydrogels

Based on the molecular stent concept, a series of tough double-network hydrogels (St-DN gels) made from the components of proteoglycan aggregates – chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (1), chondroitin sulfate (2), and sodium hyaluronate (3) – are successfully developed in combination with a neutral biocompatible polymer. This work demonstrates a promising method to create biopolymer-based tough hydrogels for biomedical applications.