Melt Manufacturing Route for Biocatalytic Thermoset Hydrogels

Hydrogels are a staple of polymeric research, with a wide array of applications ranging from bioelectronics to biosensors, drug delivery, separations, and many others. Hydrogels can be envisioned as a swollen polymer matrix containing large amounts of water, making them useful for applications that encapsulate biological matter such as cells or enzymes. Traditionally, these materials are manufactured from solution-based cross-linking or 3D-printing, making them difficult to produce at scale. Herein, we demonstrate a technique capable of scalable production of biocatalytic poly(ethylene oxide) hydrogels using melt extrusion followed by photoinitiated cross-linking in the melt state. Additionally, we demonstrate control of the hydrogel network parameters, resulting in the high activity of melt-encapsulated carbonic anhydrase, useful for carbon capture. We propose that this process could be adapted to an in-line manufacturing system, and these gels could find use in carbon capture, catalysis, or separation membranes at scale.