Konjac glucomannan-based hydrogels with tunable mechanical strength and frictional resistance for biomedical applications

Hydrogels with favorable biocompatibility are regarded as ideal biomedical materials. However, their poor mechanical and tribological properties limit their further clinical applications. Konjac glucomannan (KGM), a safe natural polysaccharide, has the potential to bridge this gap by regulating the mechanical and tribological properties of hydrogels. This work prepares physical-physical and physical-chemical composite hydrogels to validate the enhancement effect of KGM. Within both types of hydrogels, KGM macromolecules aggregate and regulate their compression properties. As an additive, KGM enhances the compressive strength of polyacrylamide (PAM) hydrogel from 140.78 KPa to 638.79 KPa and reduces the coefficient of friction (CoF) of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and PAM substrates by 52.57 % and 60.60 %, respectively. Moreover, KGM exhibits excellent biocompatibility. In summary, KGM emerges as a safe and effective candidate for regulating the mechanical and tribological properties of hydrogels, thereby demonstrating great potential for further biomedical applications.