Mechanically Resistant Poly(N-vinylcaprolactam) Microgels with Sacrificial Supramolecular Catechin Hydrogen Bonds.

ABSTRACT: Microgels (μgels) swiftly undergo structural and functional degradation when they are exposed to shear forces, which potentially limit their applicability in, e.g., biomedicine and engineering. Here, poly(N-vinylcaprolactam) μgels that resist mechanical disruption through supramolecular hydrogen bonds provided by (+)-catechin hydrate (+C) are synthesized. When +C is added to the microgel structure, an increased resistance against shear force exerted by ultrasonication is observed compared to μgels crosslinked by covalent bonds. While covalently crosslinked μgels degrade already after a few seconds, it is found that μgels having both supramolecular interchain interactions and covalent crosslinks show the highest mechanical durability. By the incorporation of optical force probes, it is foun

SUBMITTER: Izak-Nau E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9036020 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature