Photothermally responsive smart elastomer composites based on aliphatic polycarbonate backbone for biomedical applications

Abstract

Despite self-healing elastomers can autonomously heal physical damage of the interface of materials to reduce maintenance costs, utilization of self-healing ability and shape memory as sutures to promote wound healing has not been reported. Herein, novel photothermally responsive elastomer composites based on aliphatic polycarbonate and azobenzene units are reported, which exhibit highly efficient self-healing, controllable mechanical properties and excellent shape memory. Notably, the elastomer composites possess a unique, rapid light-responsive self-healing ability within only 5 min. The shape recovery time showed that the elastomer composites could completely recover to their original shape after 19.33 ± 0.29 s. The cell line studies and subsequent imaging indicate that the composites with good biocompatibility are superior biomaterials used in the biomedical arena. Spiral-like stent also displays fast response at 37 °C, finishing excellent self-expansion within only 10 s. In vivo experiments on injured wounds of rats demonstrate that the obtained composites as a self-tightening suture in keyhole surgery has the potential of excellent self-healing knotting ability and shape memory effect. The obtained self-tightening suture can quickly restore a programmed shape at physiological temperature, thereby effectively closing the injured wound surface, and without forming any scars after healing, which will provide a new direction for the future biomedical field.