Abstract
Compounds that can gelate aqueous solutions offer an
intriguing toolbox to create functional hydrogel
materials for biomedical applications. Amphiphilic Janus
dendrimers with low molecular weights can readily form
self-assembled fibers at very low mass proportion (0.2
wt?%) to create supramolecular hydrogels (G'»G'') with
outstanding mechanical properties and storage modulus of
G'>1000 Pa. The G' value and gel melting temperature can
be tuned by modulating the position or number of
hydrophobic alkyl chains in the dendrimer structure; thus
enabling exquisite control over the mesoscale material
properties in these molecular assemblies. The gels are
formed within seconds by simple injection of
ethanol-solvated dendrimers into an aqueous solution.
Cryogenic TEM, small-angle X-ray scattering, and SEM were
used to confirm the fibrous structure morphology of the
gels. Furthermore, the gels can be efficiently loaded
with different bioactive cargo, such as active enzymes,
peptides, or small-molecule drugs, to be used for
sustained release in drug delivery.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 14433-14439 |
Journal | Chemistry - A European Journal |
Volume | 21 |
Issue number | 41 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2015 |
MoE publication type | A1 Journal article-refereed |
Keywords
- amphiphiles
- dendrimers
- drug delivery
- rheology
- supramolecular gels