Molecularly Engineered Supramolecular Thermoresponsive Hydrogels with Tunable Mechanical and Dynamic Properties.

ABSTRACT: Synthetic supramolecular polymers and hydrogels in water are emerging as promising biomaterials due to their modularity and intrinsic dynamics. Here, we introduce temperature sensitivity into the nonfunctionalized benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxamide (BTA-EG₄) supramolecular system by incorporating a poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-functionalized (BTA-PNIPAM) moiety, enabling 3D cell encapsulation applications. The viscous and structural properties in the solution state as well as the mechanical and dynamic features in the gel state of BTA-PNIPAM/BTA-EG₄ mixtures were investigated and modulated. In the dilute state (c ∼μM), BTA-PNIPAM acted as a chain capper below the cloud point temperature (T_cp = 24 °C) but served as a cross-linker above T_cp. At higher concentrations (c ∼mM), weak or stiff hydrogels were obtained, depending on the BTA-PNIPAM/BTA-EG₄ ratio. The mixture with the highest BTA-PNIPAM ratio was ∼100 times stiffer and ∼10 times less dynamic than BTA-EG₄ hydrogel. Facile cell encapsulation in 3D was realized by leveraging the temperature-sensitive sol-gel transition, opening opportunities for utilizing this hydrogel as an extracellular matrix mimic.

SUBMITTER: Rijns L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11323010 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature