Hu, J, Andablo-Reyes, E orcid.org/0000-0003-2789-764X, Soltanahmadi, S orcid.org/0000-0002-6909-4776 et al. (1 more author) (2020) Synergistic Microgel-Reinforced Hydrogels as High-Performance Lubricants. ACS Macro Letters, 9 (2). pp. 1726-1731. ISSN 2161-1653
Abstract
The ability to create a superlubricious aqueous lubricant is important for various biological and technological applications. Here, a nonlipid biolubricant with strikingly low friction coefficients is fabricated (patented) by reinforcing a fluid-like hydrogel composed of biopolymeric nanofibrils with proteinaceous microgels, which synergistically provide superlubricity on elastomeric surfaces in comparison to any of the sole components. This two-component lubricant composed of positively charged lactoferrin microgels and negatively charged κ-carrageenan hydrogels is capable of exceeding the high lubricating performance of real human saliva in tribo tests using both smooth and textured surfaces, latter mimicking the human tongue’s wettability, topography, and compliance. The favorable electrostatic attraction between mutually oppositely charged microgels and the hydrogel reinforces the mechanical properties of the hydrogel, allowing friction reduction by combining the benefits of both viscous and hydration lubrication. The superlubricity of these microgel-reinforced hydrogels offers a unique prospect for the fabrication of biocompatible aqueous lubricants for dry-mouth therapy and/or designing of nonobesogenic nutritional technologies.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2020 American Chemical Society. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) |
Keywords: | microgel; hydrogel; synergistic effect; lubricants; saliva |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Environment (Leeds) > School of Food Science and Nutrition (Leeds) > FSN Colloids and Food Processing (Leeds) |
Funding Information: | Funder Grant number EU - European Union 757993 EU - European Union 890644 |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 13 Nov 2020 16:16 |
Last Modified: | 08 Jan 2025 12:44 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | American Chemical Society |
Identification Number: | 10.1021/acsmacrolett.0c00689 |
Related URLs: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:167862 |
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