Projekt

Modern man-made materials get affected by the environment (UV irradiation, chemical degradation, mechanical wear, etc.) and loose their structural features and functional performance over time. Developed self-healing strategies allow to partially compensate these drawbacks. So far, these approaches are efficient at the sub-micrometer scale and cannot treat large defects what is required for sustainable and long-lasting performance. Nature went beyond self-healing and developed regeneration pathways for biological tissues like mucus, skin and bone. In living systems mucus coatings play a major role for the protection of surfaces and for the reduction of friction. The unique properties of the mucus hydrogel layer originates among others from the ability of regeneration upon secretion of new mucin macromolecules. The team aims to combine a bioinspired approach (regeneration by growth) with macromolecular engineering to design new hydrogel-based materials with regenerative function. If successful, a proof-of-concept for a self-regenerating hydrogel coating would be achieved. The new technology could lead to the development of self-regenerative materials with anti-fouling and lubricating properties.

• Prof. Dr. Andrij Pich

  DWI - Leibniz-Institut für
  Interaktive Materialien e.V.
  Institut für Technische und Makromolekulare Chemie
  Aachen