Highly Deformable Organic Heterojunctions Empower Piezoelectric‐Conductive Hydrogels for Functional Volumetric Muscle Regeneration

ABSTRACT Volumetric muscle loss (VML) results in irreversible muscle impairment, necessitating tissue‐matched electrostimulation scaffolds for clinical repair. Here, we report a biointegrated hydrogel that leverages a piezoelectric‐conductive organic heterojunction to deliver self‐powered electrical cues directly to the injury site. The heterojunction comprises a piezoelectric metal–organic framework (MOF) coated with conductive polypyrrole (PPy), forming a stable p–n organic heterojunction with an intrinsic built‐in electric field. Unlike inorganic piezoelectrics, the organic MOF‐PPy features an ultralow elastic modulus, porous architecture, and exceptional deformability, delivering robust piezoelectric output under mild muscular contraction. These MOF‐PPy is then covalently integrated into a silk fibroin network via in situ photopolymerization to produce the MOF‐PPy@Sil hydrogel, where covalent conjugation ensures efficient stress transfer, maximizing piezoelectric signal generation. The piezoelectric and conductive cues significantly promote cell viability and migration, upregulate myogenic markers, and enhance maturation of organized muscle fibers. In a rat tibialis anterior VML model, MOF‐PPy@Sil drives myofiber formation, structural reconstruction, and near‐complete restoration of hindlimb motor function. Mechanistically, the endogenous electroactive niche upregulates myogenic and metabolic pathways, while mitigating inflammatory responses that impede muscle regeneration. This work presents a piezoelectric‐conductive hydrogel paradigm that harnesses the deformability of organic heterojunctions to generate a mechano‐electrical microenvironment for regenerative medicine.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Advanced Healthcare Materials
Published
2026-10-08
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/adhm.71818
Primary Topic
Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Highly Deformable Organic Heterojunctions Empower Piezoelectric‐Conductive Hydrogels for Functional Volumetric Muscle Regeneration

Xiaohong Li, Long He, Guiyuan Zhang, Shuying Ren et al.
Advanced Healthcare Materials
Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine
article

Highly Deformable Organic Heterojunctions Empower Piezoelectric‐Conductive Hydrogels for Functional Volumetric Muscle Regeneration

Xiaohong Li, Long He, Guiyuan Zhang, Shuying Ren, Pan Wang, Tianyu Gao, Jialai Zhang
article en

Abstract

ABSTRACT Volumetric muscle loss (VML) results in irreversible muscle impairment, necessitating tissue‐matched electrostimulation scaffolds for clinical repair. Here, we report a biointegrated hydrogel that leverages a piezoelectric‐conductive organic heterojunction to deliver self‐powered electrical cues directly to the injury site. The heterojunction comprises a piezoelectric metal–organic framework (MOF) coated with conductive polypyrrole (PPy), forming a stable p–n organic heterojunction with an intrinsic built‐in electric field. Unlike inorganic piezoelectrics, the organic MOF‐PPy features an ultralow elastic modulus, porous architecture, and exceptional deformability, delivering robust piezoelectric output under mild muscular contraction. These MOF‐PPy is then covalently integrated into a silk fibroin network via in situ photopolymerization to produce the MOF‐PPy@Sil hydrogel, where covalent conjugation ensures efficient stress transfer, maximizing piezoelectric signal generation. The piezoelectric and conductive cues significantly promote cell viability and migration, upregulate myogenic markers, and enhance maturation of organized muscle fibers. In a rat tibialis anterior VML model, MOF‐PPy@Sil drives myofiber formation, structural reconstruction, and near‐complete restoration of hindlimb motor function. Mechanistically, the endogenous electroactive niche upregulates myogenic and metabolic pathways, while mitigating inflammatory responses that impede muscle regeneration. This work presents a piezoelectric‐conductive hydrogel paradigm that harnesses the deformability of organic heterojunctions to generate a mechano‐electrical microenvironment for regenerative medicine.

Advanced Healthcare Materials
Southwest Jiaotong University (CN)
Openalex Percentile: Top 9%
Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.