Mechanical Response Behavior Research Articles

Piezochromic luminescence behavior based on the molecular conformation change of nitro-triphenylamine

Mechanoresponsive luminescent (MRL) materials have become a high-profile research system in the fields of force sensing, anti-counterfeiting, and optical information storage because of their obvious variety on luminescence intensity or luminescence color under mechanical force. In this work, nitro-triphenylamine (TPA-NO2) crystal was selected to conduct in situ high pressure experiments based on diamond anvil cell combined with theory calculation, and the piezochromism of TPA-NO2 crystal was discussed in detail. During the compression process, the TPA-NO2 crystal showed the piezochromic behavior and a redshift of the emission peak. The mechanical response behavior of TPA-NO2 provides insight into the study of multicolor properties from a structural perspective, offering a clean means of using pressure to modulate different colors and contributing to the exploration of high-potency MRL materials.

Finite Element Modelling on the Mechanical Behaviour of Marine Bonded Composite Hose (MBCH) under Burst and Collapse

Currently, the properties of composites have been harnessed on pipelines in the marine offshore industry. In this study, marine bonded composite hose (MBCH) is presented. It is aimed at understanding the stress/strain distribution on marine bonded hoses using local design pressure under burst and collapse cases. This study also investigates composite material modelling, hose modelling, liner wrinkling, helical spring deformation, and two MBCH models—with and without ovalisation. The ovalized model is considered the simplified model in this research. A mesh study was carried out on meshing the hose layers. In this study, local design pressure was considered and not operational pressure. This finite element model was adopted to predict the deformation and mechanical response behaviour of MBCH. From this study, composites could be considered to improve conventional marine hoses. The study findings include identification of buckled sections on the hose and stressed zones on the helix reinforcement. Highly reinforced hose ends are recommended in ends of the MBCH as they had maximum stress and strain values.

Size Effect on Mechanical Behaviors of Intact Rocks Based on Enlarged Digital Models

The size effect on mechanical behaviors of rock materials has been a challenging topic. The previous research is mainly to study the relationship between known large-scale models and representative element volumes. However, only limited scale models can be obtained in situ or laboratory in many cases, so tests or simulations of mechanical response behaviors of large-scale models cannot be carried out. In order to obtain large-scale models, this paper proposes a multi-scale enlarged digital modeling method to synthesize granite models based on texture self-similarity. The representational ability of synthetic granite is analyzed by using mathematical statistics and finite-difference numerical method. The results show that synthetic granite can characterize the natural rock well in terms of texture morphology, geometric characteristics, and mechanical behaviors. Then, the size effect on mechanical behaviors of intact granite is performed based on an enlarged digital model. The results show that the uniaxial compressive strength of intact granite increases with the increase of model size. In addition, the relationship between heterogeneity and homogeneity is established at different unit scales by using the synthetic digital granite model. The enlarged digital rock model has great potential in studying size effects with rock heterogeneity.

Study on thermo-mechanical coupling method of ship cabin with ceiling vent under fire condition

Objectives The performance analysis of ship cabin steel structures in fire situations is fundamental to structural fire resistance design. Compared with research conducted under traditional standard fire conditions, research based on the real fire temperature field can more accurately analyze the mechanical response behavior of cabin structures. Aiming at an open cabin (i.e. engine room) structure, a fire-heat-structure coupling method combining FDS and ANSYS is developed. Methods First, the FDS simulation is utilized to obtain the temperature information of the inside ship wall exposed to the fire, which is then used as the boundary condition transferred to the structural finite element analysis software ANSYS. Transient thermal analysis concerning the temperature field of the cabin structure is then conducted, and the thermal-structural coupling analysis of the ship cabin structure carried out in a real fire scenario. Results The results of the case study using the proposed method demonstrate that the stress distribution is not uniform due to the uneven temperature distribution. The maximum stress is concentrated at the edge of the cabin, with a value of 19 MPa. The structure does not reach the failure limit after being exposed to fire. Conclusions Compared with the traditional standard fire curve method, the proposed method has two advantages for addressing structural response: the non-uniform elevated temperature of the structure and real fire temperature rise. More attention should be paid to the change in structural internal force caused by non-uniform temperature rise in an open ship cabin.

Numerical Investigation of the Short-Term Mechanical Response of Buried Profiled Thermoplastic Pipes with Different Diameters to External Loads

High-density polyethylene (HDPE) double-wall corrugated pipe is a flexible buried pipe widely used in municipal drainage, and its deformation is affected by the compactness of the surrounding soil. This paper uses the ABAQUS to establish a three-dimensional pipe-soil model of double-wall corrugated pipes, and the mechanical response behavior of corrugated pipes with different nominal diameters subject to external loads is studied. The results show that the strain distribution characteristics for pipes with different diameters are very similar, and the circumferential strain value at critical positions of the pipe is proportional to its nominal diameter. Under poor backfill conditions, small-diameter pipelines are more prone to damage caused by strain concentration, while large-diameter pipelines may be damaged due to local bending.

Polycrystal thermo-elasticity revisited: theory and applications

The self-consistent (SC) theory is the most commonly used mean-field homogenization method to estimate the mechanical response behavior of polycrystals based on the knowledge of the properties and orientation distribution of constituent single-crystal grains. The original elastic SC method can be extended to thermo-elasticity by adding a stress-free strain to an elastic constitutive relation that expresses stress as a linear function of strain. With the addition of this independent term, the problem remains linear. Although the thermo-elastic self-consistent (TESC) model has important theoretical implications for the development of self-consistent homogenization of non-linear polycrystals, in this paper, we focus on TESC applications to actual thermo-elastic problems involving non-cubic (i.e. thermally anisotropic) materials. To achieve this aim, we provide a thorough description of the TESC theory, which is followed by illustrative examples involving cooling of polycrystalline non-cubic metals. The TESC model allows studying the effect of crystallographic texture and single-crystal elastic and thermal anisotropy on the effective thermo-elastic response of the aggregate and on the internal stresses that develop at the local level.

A Thermomechanical Coupling Constitutive Model of Concrete Including Elastoplastic Damage

The thermomechanical coupling constitutive model of concrete is a critical subject for the theoretical investigation and numerical simulation of the mechanical behaviors of concrete members and structures at high temperature. This paper presents a thermomechanical coupling constitutive model for the description of the mechanical behaviors of concrete at different temperatures. The expression of the elastic strain increment is derived with the free energy function including the temperature variable. The expression of the plastic strain increment is derived from the yield function based on the Drucker–Prager strength criterion. The elastoplastic damage effect is included in this constitutive model. The damage variable is included in the yield function to consider the effect of the damage on the elastoplastic mechanical behaviors of concrete. The proposed constitutive model is validated by the comparison of the simulation results of the uniaxial compression tests of concrete at different temperatures with the corresponding test results. The simulation results accord well with the test results at different temperatures. This indicates that the proposed constitutive model can characterize the mechanical behaviors of concrete at different temperatures with considerable accuracy. The proposed constitutive model was applied to simulate an axially compressive concrete column. The simulation results are consistent with the essential mechanical response behaviors of concrete members at different temperatures.

Finite element analysis of human skull bone adaptation to mechanical loading

Bones self-optimize their mechanical behavior in response to mechanical stimulus. The objective of this research was to develop an integrated bone remodeling and stress binning algorithms into a finite element environment to elucidate the evolution of the bone properties as a function of loading. The bone remodeling algorithm was used to calculate the change in the density and elastic modulus based on the strain energy stimulus. The stress-binning procedure seeks to assign the properties to each element based on the levels of stress from the previous cycle, eliminating pseudo-lazy-zoning and stress dilation effects. The developed algorithms were used to analyze the response skull to loading associated with orthodontic devices. Specifically, a load was applied between the roots of the canine teeth and the first premolars while constraining the foramen magnum. Full-field contours of the displacement, strain, and strain energy were extracted after each remodeling cycle at nine commonly cephalometric landmarks. The results indicate that the overall mechanical response and the associated properties reached a steady-state behavior after nearly 50 cycles of applying the algorithm, where different zones within the skull exhibited unique evolution based on the locations from the loading and boundary sites. When approaching this steady-state condition, it was found that the upper incisor displacement is reduced by 72%, and the density is reduced by almost 7.5%. The finite element approach can be used in defining the treatment process by dynamically changing the loads. Future research will focus on integrating the time-dependent behavior of the bone.

Development of spiropyran bonded bio-based waterborne polyurethanes for mechanical-responsive color-variable films

Waterborne polyurethanes (WPUs) use water as the solvent to reduce volatile organic compounds emissions and are widely increased because they are environment friendly. Vegetable oil-based polyol is a potential environmental protection material and can replace petroleum-based polyols for WPUs synthesis. In this work, we synthesized new mechanical-responsive soybean oil (SBO)-based WPUs, and their corresponding responsive behaviors were regulated by the flexibility and rigidity of the polymer chains. Soybean oil polyols (MESOs) were firstly synthesized from soybean oils, which were used to synthesize waterborne polyurethanes (SP-MSPUs). Spiropyran (SP) as a mechanophore was bonded to polyurethane chains, and the color of polyurethane films would be changed under the action of stress, which shown the stress-sensitive behavior of polyurethane membrane. The double hydroxyl spiropyran diol (SP2) and the control single hydroxyl spiropyran (SP1) were synthesized and bonded into the SP-MSPU molecular chains, respectively. The SP-MSPU polymer films appeared a translucent light yellow in visible light, and the purple color of polyurethane films was observed under stress tension. Soybean oil polyols with triglyceride bonds are implanted into the polymer to regulate the flexibility and rigidity of the films. From SP- MSPU-115 to SP-MSPU-172 of the polymer samples, the stress required ranged from 1 MPa to 4 MPa when the polymerization tensile deformation was 200%. At the same time, under the same deformation, the UV absorption of polyurethane films synthesized from the same polyol (MESO-134) showed a trend of enhancement with the increase of the molar ratio of NCO and OH in polymer chains. Therefore, excellent mechanical response behavior of a solid SP-MSPU membrane can be obtained. This mechanical responsive SP-MSPU would be used in a variety of applications, such as multi-responsive probe materials, decorative coatings, and anti-falsification technology.

Nanomechanical analysis of medical grade PEEK and carbon fiber-reinforced PEEK composites

Polyether ether ketone (PEEK) and PEEK composites are viable candidates for orthopedic implants owing to their ability for modulus match of surrounding bone tissue. The structural properties of these systems for load-bearing application in the body can be tailored by incorporating carbon fibers; to this end, polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and pitch fibers are commonly incorporated in the PEEK matrix. Mechanical property optimization for a given medical application requires consideration of carbon fiber type and volume fraction, as well as processing conditions for the composite systems. While much is known about the bulk mechanical properties of PEEK and PEEK composites, little is known about the nanomechanical properties of these systems. Insight into nanoscale behavior can offer valuable information about fiber-matrix interactions that may influence long-term integrity of these biomaterials when used in load bearing medical device applications. In this study, we utilize nanoindentation as a method to characterize mechanical behavior of clinical grade PEEK and PEEK composites. We examine PEEK formulations with pitch and PAN fibers and evaluate a range of thermal treatments known to influence polymer microstructure. We use a conospherical tip of 1.5 μm in radius and a conospherical tip of 20 μm radius to determine indentation modulus over different length scales. We correlate these findings with previous characterization on these same PEEK systems using microindentation. A novelty of this work is that we combine nanoindentation with k-means clustering to quantitatively discern the influence of heat treatment and carbon fiber type on the mechanical behavior of PEEK composites and their constituents. We demonstrate that nanoindentation is an effective characterization tool for discerning fiber-matrix interactions and measuring the mechanical behavior in response to thermal treatment and carbon fiber type in PEEK composites. Nanoindentation is shown to be a viable tool for characterizing complex biomaterials and can serve as an effective technique to guide optimization of microstructures for long-term structural applications in the body.

Carrier-trapping induced reconstruction of partial-dislocation cores responsible for light-illumination controlled plasticity in an inorganic semiconductor

Inorganic semiconductors show interesting mechanical behavior in response to their surrounding lighting environments. In fact, we recently found out that zinc sulfide (ZnS) shows the light-illumination controlled plasticity at room temperature. However, its mechanism is poorly understood. Here we report systematic density functional theory results of electronic and atomic structures of glide partial dislocations in ZnS. We have revealed that partial dislocations in ZnS have excess electrostatic fields localized around their cores and can trap electrons or holes, depending on excess ionic species at the cores. Such carrier-dislocation interactions can induce energetically more stable bond reconstruction at their cores, as compared with the case before carrier trapping. Reconstructed bonds at the dislocation cores should be broken upon dislocation glide, and thus can restrict the dislocation motion significantly. Such reduced dislocation motion due to core reconstruction should give rise to increased plastic deformation stresses, namely, hardening of the materials under light illumination. The present results provide a critical understanding of the experimentally observed light-illumination controlled plasticity in ZnS at the electronic level, which is opposed to previously reported plasticity and dislocation motion in other elemental and III-V semiconductors.

The promise of single-cell mechanophenotyping for clinical applications.

Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide. Despite the immense research focused in this area, one is still not able to predict disease trajectory. To overcome shortcomings in cancer disease study and monitoring, we describe an exciting research direction: cellular mechanophenotyping. Cancer cells must overcome many challenges involving external forces from neighboring cells, the extracellular matrix, and the vasculature to survive and thrive. Identifying and understanding their mechanical behavior in response to these forces would advance our understanding of cancer. Moreover, used alongside traditional methods of immunostaining and genetic analysis, mechanophenotyping could provide a comprehensive view of a heterogeneous tumor. In this perspective, we focus on new technologies that enable single-cell mechanophenotyping. Single-cell analysis is vitally important, as mechanical stimuli from the environment may obscure the inherent mechanical properties of a cell that can change over time. Moreover, bulk studies mask the heterogeneity in mechanical properties of single cells, especially those rare subpopulations that aggressively lead to cancer progression or therapeutic resistance. The technologies on which we focus include atomic force microscopy, suspended microchannel resonators, hydrodynamic and optical stretching, and mechano-node pore sensing. These technologies are poised to contribute to our understanding of disease progression as well as present clinical opportunities.

Characteristics and analysis of the mechanical response inside the structure of asphalt pavement

Determining whether structural analysis method can objectively describe the real service status of pavements is the main issue in the design of asphalt pavements. Given the complexity and variety of pavement materials, the responses of pavement structures under vehicle load and environmental conditions exhibit clear nonlinear characteristics. Obtaining the structural mechanical response characteristics in the course of pavement service is not only the solution to one of the basic issues in the structural design of asphalt pavements, but also the key to ensure the scientific and reasonable analysis of pavement structures. To reveal the structural mechanical response characteristics and change the law of asphalt pavements and provide reliable data for the development of structural design methods that are suitable for the national conditions and highway construction characteristics in China, continuous follow-up observations of the mechanical responses of asphalt pavement structures, such as stress and strain, are conducted using RIOHTrack. The actual service environment and mechanical response law of asphalt pavement structures are obtained using sensor testing technology. The influence law of external factors, such as temperature and load, on the mechanical response behavior is analyzed and the temperature and load dependences of the true mechanical response are revealed. Results show that the structural mechanical response of asphalt pavements exhibits significant temperature and load dependence and that a nonlinear relationship exists between temperature and load. To ensure the rationality of pavement analysis, nonlinear mechanics theory requires consideration in the structural calculations. The stress and strain of asphalt pavements display alternating fluctuations in the annual cycle; the smallest and largest values of the stress and strain at the bottom of the asphalt layer are observed during winter and summer, respectively. For semi-rigid base asphalt pavements, the temperature monotonically affects the value of the mechanical response of the asphalt surface layer and does not change the direction of force. An exponential function can describe the relationship of strain and temperature, whereas the Boltzmann function can describe that of stress and temperature; the decision coefficient R 2 for both functions exceeds 0.94 and therefore indicates good correlation. For full-thick asphalt pavements, the temperature change causes an increase or decrease in the mechanical response values, and a change in direction, that is, compression state and tensile state can switch to each other. And the relationship curve between strain and temperature shows a pull conversion point and a zero strain line. In the depth direction, the compression-tensile conversion occurs between 24–36 cm, and as the temperature increases, the position of the compression-tensile conversion gradually moves down from the surface. The strain response significantly increases with the increase in load level and shows a clear trend of nonlinear change, especially at high temperature and overload. The actual structural mechanical response of the pavement needed to establish the asphalt pavement calculation system and analysis theory is obtained, which addresses the lack of systematic surface structural mechanical response observation test data due to the inability to perform full-scale tests before and provides the basic data for pavement design and analysis. Results can offer theoretical support for polishing the design and analysis methods for asphalt pavements.

Digital Programming Graphene Oxide Liquid Crystalline Hybrid Hydrogel by Shearing Microlithography.

Designing anisotropic architectures enables the creation of soft materials with rich properties and functions to artificially simulate the evolutionary diversity of biology. In the important liquid crystalline hybrid (LCH) hydrogels, free manipulation of liquid crystalline order in high accuracy and efficiency has been long pursued to design properties and functions but remains a challenge. Here, we realize digital programing LC order in graphene oxide LCH hydrogels in high size resolution (∼20 μm) and efficiency by using shearing microlithography. The localized shear-induced LC order organization is immobilized by cross-linking gelation, and we prepare graphene oxide LCH hydrogels with digital programmed patterns in a large area. The shearing order generates a vertical alignment of graphene oxide sheets in hydrogels and a considerable mechanical anisotropy controlled by the shearing angle and interval spacing. By diversely organizing geometry of LC order, the mechanical response behaviors of LCH hydrogels are designed to exhibit localized deformations, steered cracking, and programmable swelling actuations. Our work offers a versatile avenue to scalably digital program LCH hydrogels in a high efficiency and accuracy. The digital designed hydrogel promises wide uses in actuators, bioscaffolds, biomimetic materials, and soft designer materials.

Strain design method of buried pipeline crossing fault

Faults are ground ruptures and disoperations that occur in crustal rock strata. Long distance buried pipeline crossing a fault zone is prone to axial fracture, lateral dislocation or buckling failure, which can cause the leakage of the pipeline medium or secondary disasters. Therefore, we established a finite element model of buried pipelines crossing a strike-slip fault, taking active faults and pipelines as the research objects, and considering the material nonlinearity of pipeline and fault soil, the nonlinear geometric deformation of the pipeline and the contact nonlinearity between pipes. The mechanical response behavior of buried pipelines under fault displacement loads was analyzed, and the influence of pipeline size and material, fault site soil conditions and pipeline operation conditions on pipeline mechanical properties was studied. According to the influential law of parameters, dimensionless factors such as pipe material, the cohesive force of soil and internal pressure of the pipeline were adopted. Multiple linear and nonlinear regression theories were utilized to fit the simplified formula for strain calculation of buried pipeline crossing a strike-slip fault. Our model is available for reference in the design and safety assessment of the buried pipeline crossing the strike-slip fault.

Numerical Investigation on the Necessity of a Constant Strain Rate Condition According to Material’s Dynamic Response Behavior in the SHPB Test

The split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) apparatus is frequently used to investigate the dynamic compression properties of various materials at strain rates from 102 to 104 s−1. Keeping the strain rate constant during loading is an important condition for obtaining accurate experimental results. However, we do not always need to take additional measures to control the constant strain rate loading conditions for materials with different dynamic response behaviors. To investigate the necessity of a constant strain rate condition in the SHPB test according to the different dynamic mechanical response behaviors of materials, a comprehensive numerical analysis scheme combined with the Cowper-Symonds plastic kinematic model was designed to perform the simulation tests. There are two factors primarily resulting in the errors in the calculated stress-strain response for the representative material model. One of them is the dynamic scale factor, which represents the strain rate sensitivity and controls the variation amplitude of flow stress with the change in strain rate. The other factor is the work-hardening rate, which affects the results by expanding the decrease in strain rate. This paper quantitatively describes the effects of strain rate sensitivity and the strain-hardening modulus on the accuracy of the reconstructed stress-strain behavior of a sample under a constant incident pulse. The conclusion presents several reference guides for the necessity of a constant strain rate condition for different dynamic response behaviors of materials based on the representative constitutive model.

Multi-stage mechanical behavior and failure mechanism analysis of CFRP/Al single-lap bolted joints with different seawater ageing conditions

This paper aims to investigate the mechanical response behavior of CFRP/Al single-lap bolted joints in marine environment. The joints with four interference fit sizes (0%, 0.42%, 2.14% and 3.02%) were prepared, and fully and half immersed in 3.5% sodium chloride solution with a controlled temperature of 30 °C for four months. Single-lap bearing tests were carried out to evaluate the mechanical behavior and failure mode of the CFRP/Al bolted joints after seawater ageing. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used to analyze the environmental damage and failure mechanism of structures. The results show that the critical load-bearing capacity and the maximum friction force at the overlap gradually decreased with the increasing of ageing time, and it was more serious in half immersion ageing environment compared with full immersion. The interference fit significantly improved the mechanical properties of joints, especially for 2.14% interference fit. Environmental damage such as pitting, delamination and fiber-matrix interface debonding was all aggravated with the increasing ageing time but suppressed by interference fit. In addition, the failure modes of structures were bearing failure and shear-out failure of CFRP, and the failure mechanism was delamination for unaged structures, the interlayer shear damage for aged structures.

Enhanced Cell Adhesion on a Nano-Embossed, Sticky Surface Prepared by the Printing of a DOPA-Bolaamphiphile Assembly Ink

Inspired by adhesive mussel proteins, nanospherical self-assemblies were prepared from bolaamphiphiles containing 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) moieties, and a suspension of the bolaamphiphile assemblies was used for the preparation of a patterned surface that enhanced cell adhesion and viability. The abundant surface-exposed catechol groups on the robust bolaamphiphile self-assemblies were responsible for their outstanding adhesivity to various surfaces and showed purely elastic mechanical behaviour in response to tensile stress. Compared to other polydopamine coatings, the spherical DOPA-bolaamphiphile assemblies were coated uniformly and densely on the surface, yielding a nano-embossed surface. Cell culture tests on the surface modified by DOPA-bolaamphiphiles also showed enhanced cellular adhesivity and increased viability compared to surfaces decorated with other catecholic compounds. Furthermore, the guided growth of a cell line was demonstrated on the patterned surface, which was prepared by inkjet printing using a suspension of the self-assembled particles as an ink. The self-assembly of DOPA-bolaamphiphiles shows that they are a promising adhesive, biocompatible material with the potential to modify various substances.

Evaluation of different crosslinking agents on hybrid biomimetic collagen-hydroxyapatite composites for regenerative medicine

This study focuses on the development of novel bone-like scaffolds by bio-inspired, pH-driven, mineralization of type I collagen matrix with magnesium-doped hydroxyapatite nanophase (MgHA/Coll). To this aim, this study evaluates the altered modifications in the obtained composite due to different crosslinkers such as dehydrothermal treatment (DHT), 1,4-butanediol diglycidyl ether (BDDGE) and ribose in terms of morphological, physical-chemical and biological properties. The physical-chemical properties of the composites evaluated by XRD, FTIR, ICP and TGA demonstrated that the chemical mimesis of bone was effectively achieved using the in-lab biomineralization process. Furthermore, the presence of various crosslinkers greatly promoted beneficial enzymatic resistivity and swelling ability. The morphological results revealed highly porous and fibrous micro-architecture with total porosity above 85% with anisotropic pore size within the range of 50–200μm in all the analysed composites. The mechanical behaviour in response to compressive forces demonstrated enhanced compressive modulus in all crosslinked composites, suggesting that mechanical behaviour is largely dependent on the type of crosslinker used. The biomimetic compositional and morphological features of the composites elicited strong cell-material interaction. Therefore, the results showed that by activating specific crosslinking mechanisms, hybrid composites can be designed and tailored to develop tissue-specific biomimetic biomaterials for hard tissue engineering.

Ribose mediated crosslinking of collagen-hydroxyapatite hybrid scaffolds for bone tissue regeneration using biomimetic strategies

This study explores for the first time the application of ribose as a highly biocompatible agent for the crosslinking of hybrid mineralized constructs, obtained by bio-inspired mineralization of self-assembling Type I collagen matrix with magnesium-doped-hydroxyapatite nanophase, towards a biomimetic mineralized 3D scaffolds (MgHA/Coll) with excellent compositional and structural mimicry of bone tissue. To this aim, two different crosslinking mechanisms in terms of pre-ribose glycation (before freeze drying) and post-ribose glycation (after freeze drying) were investigated. The obtained results explicate that with controlled freeze-drying, highly anisotropic porous structures with opportune macro-micro porosity are obtained. The physical-chemical features of the scaffolds characterized by XRD, FTIR, ICP and TGA demonstrated structural mimicry analogous to the native bone. The influence of ribose greatly assisted in decreasing solubility and increased enzymatic resistivity of the scaffolds. In addition, enhanced mechanical behaviour in response to compressive forces was achieved. Preliminary cell culture experiments reported good cytocompatibility with extensive cell adhesion, proliferation and colonization. Overall, scaffolds developed by pre-ribose glycation process are preferred, as the related crosslinking technique is more facile and robust to obtain functional scaffolds. As a proof of concept, we have demonstrated that ribose crosslinking is cost-effective, safe and functionally effective. This study also offers new insights and opportunities in developing promising scaffolds for bone tissue engineering.