I want to avoid using something like agar (avoid boiling) or polyacrylamide (toxic). I want to make deformations in the gel that I will be able to clearly see from all sides of a glass jar. Also, it would help if the substrate is brittle enough not to "collapse" if a hole was dug into it.
Currently I am experimenting with PEGs but I am keen to try other substrates that will not become runny at lower concentrations.
All the best,
Sebastian
Give a try to PEGDA 700 with concentration over 50% and a kind of photo initiator (like irgacure which not toxic to cells). It will produce what exactly you like.Moreover you can play with concentration to tune it's brittleness.
If u can low crosslinked (%1) polymerization of EG-AMPS or EG-AAc, u can obtain nontoxic brittle gel.
@Vahid
So I've tried PEGDA 700. at >=5% its opaque (with a thermal initiator VA-044).
http://www.sigmaaldrich.com/catalog/product/aldrich/455008?lang=en®ion=US
Hi, I used PVA crosslinked with borax. You will not avoid boiling, but it was transparent for lasers.
More information: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jbm.b.33197/abstract
You can make a fairly robust PEG hydrogel at ~1 wt% if you use a multi-arm PEG. See DOI: 10.1002/mame.201200119, for example. The material remains transparent as long as it was hydrated.
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