Temporal Control of Gelation and Polymerization Fronts Driven by an Autocatalytic Enzyme Reaction.

ABSTRACT: Chemical systems that remain kinetically dormant until activated have numerous applications in materials science. Herein we present a method for the control of gelation that exploits an inbuilt switch: the increase in pH after an induction period in the urease-catalyzed hydrolysis of urea was used to trigger the base-catalyzed Michael addition of a water-soluble trithiol to a polyethylene glycol diacrylate. The time to gelation (minutes to hours) was either preset through the initial concentrations or the reaction was initiated locally by a base, thus resulting in polymerization fronts that converted the mixture from a liquid into a gel (ca. 0.1 mm min^-1). The rate of hydrolytic degradation of the hydrogel depended on the initial concentrations, thus resulting in a gel lifetime

SUBMITTER: Jee E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4950125 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature