Composite Hydrogels with Tunable Anisotropic Morphologies and Mechanical Properties

Fabrication of anisotropic hydrogels exhibiting direction-dependent structure and properties has attracted great interest in biomimicking, tissue engineering, and bioseparation. Herein, we report a freeze-casting-based fabrication of structurally and mechanically anisotropic aerogels and hydrogels composed of hydrazone cross-linked poly­(oligoethylene glycol methacrylate) (POEGMA) and cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs). We show that, by controlling …