Table 1.
Dimensional characteristics of the hydrogel networks and structural data of the individual fibers from SANS data analysis, and their elastic moduli from dynamic rheometry experiments.
| Hydrogels | Dmax (Å) | Rc (Å) | Lc (Å) | d | B | G′ (Pa) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CA (chitosan + alginate) | 445 | 152.7 | 150 | 3.0 ± 0.2 | 5.2×10−4 | 100 |
| CAD (CA + chondroitin) | 495 | 170.2 | 155 | 2.7 ± 0.1 | 3.7×10−4 | 400 |
| P (L-KW(KA)3KWK + L-EW(EA)3EWE) | 160 | 40.6 | 60 | 1.6 ± 0.2 | 4.1×10−3 | 90,000 |
| CAP (CA + P) | 100 | 25.7 | 98 | 1.7 ± 0.2 | 4.4×10−3 | 10,000 |
| CADP (CAD + P) | 145 | 39.0 | 104 | 1.9 ± 0.2 | 4.0×10−3 | 10,000 |
Dmax is the maximum dimension of the fiber cross-section in Å; Rc is the radius of gyration of the cross-section of the individual fiber in Å; Lc is the correlation length reflecting the mesh size of the network, i.e., the averaged distance between the individual fibers in the network in Å; d is the mass-fractal dimension defining the repetitive unit of the fiber (its “building brick”); B is the mass-fractal power-law prefactor describing the dimensional characteristics of the repetitive unit; and G′ is the elastic modulus of the networks in Pa.