A scaffold provides a framework and initial support for the cells to attach, proliferate and differentiate, and form an extracellular matrix (ECM) in tissue engineering. Here, xyloglucan (XG) was used as a new synthetic ECM for HepG2 cell attachment in alginate capsules. The effects of XG on HepG2 cells on adherent behavior, albumin secretion, ammonia elimination, cell proliferation and gene expression of Connexin 32 and epithelial-cadherin were investigated. Xyloglucan could also promote the HepG2 cell-matrix interactions and the cell clusters formation of HepG2 cells in three dimensional scaffold, thus enhance the liver-specific functions in the three-dimensional space.