文献类型：期刊文献

英文题名：Fabrication of Hierarchically Structured Free-Standing Supramolecular Hydrogels through Flow-Driven Reaction-Diffusion

作者：Wei, Lai[1];Gao, Yuliang[1];Li, Zhongqi[1];Bai, Shengyu[1];Guo, Xuhong[1];Wang, Yiming[1,2]

机构：[1]East China Univ Sci & Technol, Sch Chem Engn, Shanghai, Peoples R China;[2]East China Univ Sci & Technol, Shanghai Key Lab Intelligent Sensing & Detect Tech, Shanghai, Peoples R China

年份：2026

卷号：22

期号：15

外文期刊名：SMALL

收录：;EI(收录号：20260319934400);WOS:【SCI-EXPANDED(收录号:WOS:001662471200001)】；

基金：We acknowledge the financial support of Shanghai Pilot Program for Basic Research (22TQ1400100-9), NSFC (21908061), and National Key Research and Development Program of China (2022YFD70050101).

语种：英文

外文关键词：directed self-assembly; hydrogels; molecular gelators; reaction-diffusion; supramolecular chemistry

摘要：Supramolecular hydrogels self-assembled by small molecular gelators have been recognized as a class of important soft materials. To realize their full potential, the structuring of supramolecular hydrogels at different length scales is required, yet remains a grand challenge. Here, we describe a simple flow-driven reaction-diffusion approach for the fabrication of hierarchically structured free-standing supramolecular hydrogels. The fabrication system comprises a flow channel made by agarose matrix that allows proton solutions to flow inside. Over time, the flowing protons diffuse across the channel wall, thereby triggering the self-assembly of acid-sensitive gelators at the channel surface. More interestingly, by adjusting the proton concentration, the self-assembled hydrogel fibers can be directed to grow along the diffusion direction. As a result, free-standing hydrogel tubes with aligned hydrogel fibers and different cross-section shapes are produced. Furthermore, upon a sequential growth of different supramolecular hydrogels at the channel surface, multilayered supramolecular hydrogel tubes can be created. Such a simple flow-driven reaction-diffusion approach for the structuring of supramolecular hydrogels at the levels of both fibers and macroscopic hydrogels may further unlock more functions and applications of supramolecular hydrogels.