Mechanical Reinforcement of Low-Concentration Alginate Fibers by Microfluidic Embedding of Multiple Cores

This paper presents mechanically reinforced low-concentration alginate fibers by embedding inner cores of high-concentration alginate. 3D structures by stacking multiple polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) layers allow the microfluidic formation and control of the isolated cores in the continuous flow. The alginate hydrogel fibers are simply spun, and the compartments, central core, surrounding cores, and outer shell layer are successfully verified. The results demonstrate the great potential for the development of complex fibrous materials, particularly for biological applications, which require specific morphology and composition of the fibers.