FIGURE 2.

Preparation and characterization of HA‐LA bulk hydrogel and microgels. (a) Modified hyaluronic acid: HA‐LA. (b) ¹H NMR proved that HA‐LA was successfully synthesized. (c) Compressive moduli of hydrogels with different LA grafting rate (HA‐LA (lipoic acid grafting rate)‐Cys (cross‐linking density)). (d) Compressive moduli of hydrogels with different crosslinking density (HA‐LA(lipoic acid grafting rate)‐Cys(cross‐linking density)). (e) General observation and H&E staining of hydrogels degradation on 7 day post‐implantation (scale bar = 100 μm, n = 3). (f) The SEM image of HA‐LA microgels and the diameter statistics (scale bar = 10 μm). (g) The swelling microspheres after water absorption observed by phase‐contrast microscope and the diameter statistics (scale bar = 100 μm). (h) Water absorption and volume expansion of microgels. Cys, cystamine dihydrochloride; HA‐LA, hyaluronic acid‐g‐lipoic acid; NMR, nuclear magnetic resonance; SEM, scanning electron microscopy