自组装水凝胶具有精确的微纳结构、优异的生物相容性及类细胞外基质特性，是诱导细胞生长及三维组织培养的首选基材，在新材料及生物医学领域具有重要应用前景。但自组装水凝胶要同时满足良好的机械强度、通透性及细胞粘附等性能要求目前仍然极具挑战性。本项目拟通过刺激响应性超分子聚合物接枝纤维素纳米纤丝，结合Pickering高内相乳液方法及3D打印反相模板技术，制备具有多尺度孔结构的纳米纤维素基超分子水凝胶，以实现优异的细胞外基质功能模拟。掌握纳米纤维素表面接枝超分子聚合物方法，探索超分子聚合物对水凝胶力学强度调控的作用机制，揭示水凝胶的多尺度孔结构与细胞粘附、蛋白吸附以及营养有效输送的内在联系与规律，为高性能多孔水凝胶的研究和应用提供新途径和理论基础。

Hydrogels based on self-assembled molecules demonstrate precise control on micro- and nano- structures, excellent biocompatibility and similarities to native extracellular matrix (ECM). They are collectively an important class of biomaterial that have extensive uses in cell culture and three-dimensional tissue engineering. However, to archive outstanding performance on mechanical strength, permeability, cell adhesion and communications for self-assembled hydrogel still remains major challenge. In this research proposal, we demonstrate the design of a new class of hierarchical porous hydrogel scaffolds based on supramolecular polymer modified renewable nanofibrillar cellulose (NFC) by combining Pickering high internal phase emulsion (HIPE) method with 3D printing reverse templating technique. We will study the morphology and stimuli-responsive properties of the supramolecular polymer grafted NFC, and investigate the effect of the responsive quadruple hydrogen bonding from supramolecular polymers on the mechanical strength of hydrogel. The inherent relation between the hierarchical porous structures and cell adhesion, protein adsorption and nutrient diffusion in hydrogel will be also extensively explored. We believe this approach will represent a robust and versatile platform to fabricate a range of high performance hierarchical porous hydrogel scaffolds for tissue engineering.