文献类型：期刊文献

英文题名：Localized self-assembly of macroscopically structured supramolecular hydrogels through reaction-diffusion

作者：Sun, Mengran[1];Bai, Shengyu[1];Wang, Hucheng[1];Li, Zhongqi[1];Wang, Yiming[2];Guo, Xuhong[1]

机构：[1]East China Univ Sci & Technol, Sch Chem Engn, Shanghai 200237, Peoples R China;[2]East China Univ Sci & Technol, Shanghai Key Lab Intelligent Sensing & Detect Tech, Shanghai 200237, Peoples R China

年份：2024

卷号：20

期号：24

起止页码：4776

外文期刊名：SOFT MATTER

收录：;EI(收录号：20242416243765);WOS:【SCI-EXPANDED(收录号:WOS:001239575900001)】；

基金：We acknowledge the financial support of the Natural Science Foundation of China (21908061), Shanghai Pilot Program for Basic Research (22TQ1400100-9), "Chenguang Program" supported by the Shanghai Education Development Foundation and Shanghai Municipal Education Commission (20CG36), Natural Science Foundation of Shanghai (22ZR1417700), National Key Research and Development Program of China (2022YFD70050101), and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities.

语种：英文

外文关键词：Diffusion in liquids - Hydrogels - Microchannels - Polydimethylsiloxane - Silicones - Supramolecular chemistry - Tissue engineering

摘要：Localized molecular self-assembly has been developed as an effective approach for the fabrication of spatially resolved supramolecular hydrogels, showing great potential for many high-tech applications. However, the fabrication of macroscopically structured supramolecular hydrogels through molecular self-assembly remains a challenge. Herein, we report on localized self-assembly of low molecular weight hydrogelators through a simple reaction-diffusion approach, giving rise to various macroscopically patterned supramolecular hydrogels. This is achieved on the basis of an acid-catalyzed hydrazone supramolecular hydrogelator system. The acid was pre-loaded in a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrate, generating a proton gradient in the vicinity of the PDMS surface after immersing the PDMS in the aqueous solution of the hydrogelator precursors. The acid dramatically accelerates the in situ formation and self-assembly of the hydrazone hydrogelators, leading to localized formation of supramolecular hydrogels. The growth rate of the supramolecular hydrogels can be easily tuned through controlling the concentrations of the hydrogelator precursors and HCl. Importantly, differently shaped supramolecular hydrogel objects can be obtained by simply changing the shapes of PDMS. This work suggests that reaction-diffusion-mediated localized hydrogelation can serve as an approach towards macroscopically structuralized supramolecular hydrogels, which may find potential applications ranging from tissue engineering to biosensors. Macroscopic supramolecular hydrogels self-assemble through localized reaction-diffusion, prompted by proton release from PDMS. Growth rate and gel shape are controlled by adjusting precursor and HCl concentrations and PDMS shape.