Supramolecular Hydrogels
Supramolecular Hydrogels - Related Videos
10:28
An Injectable and Drug-loaded Supramolecular Hydrogel for Local Catheter Injection into the Pig Heart
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Cited by 21 •
2015
Supramolecular hydrogelators based on ureido-pyrimidinones allow full control over the macroscopic gel properties and the sol–gel switching behavior using pH. Here, we present a protocol for formulating and injecting such a supramolecular hydrogelator via a catheter delivery system for local delivery directly in relevant areas in the pig heart.
09:26
Synthesis and Characterization of Supramolecular Colloids
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Cited by 3 •
2016
A protocol for the synthesis and characterization of colloids coated with supramolecular moieties is described. These supramolecular colloids undergo self-assembly upon the activation of the hydrogen-bonds between the surface-anchored molecules by UV-light.
09:39
Injectable Supramolecular Polymer-Nanoparticle Hydrogels for Cell and Drug Delivery Applications
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Cited by 25 •
2021
This protocol describes the synthesis and formulation of injectable, supramolecular polymer-nanoparticle (PNP) hydrogel biomaterials. Applications of these materials for drug delivery, biopharmaceutical stabilization, and cell encapsulation and delivery are demonstrated.
16:24
Controlling the Size, Shape and Stability of Supramolecular Polymers in Water
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Cited by 13 •
2012
The goal of this experiment is to determine and control the size, shape and stability of self-assembled discotic amphiphiles in water. For aqueous based supramolecular polymers such level of control is very difficult. We apply a strategy using both repulsive and attractive interactions. The experimental techniques applied to characterize this system are broadly applicable.
07:25
Collagen Hydrogels
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2023
Collagen is another widely used biomaterial that has found popularity in commercial applications, such as photography. Collagen has more recently been used in tissue engineering applications, by creating hydrogels that provide structure to engineered tissue. This video introduces collagen as a biomaterial, demonstrates how it is harvested from porcine skin, and shows how the material is used to create a hydrogel for tissue engineering applications. Finally, several applications of the material...
FAQs
Gel formation depends on the balance and reversibility of noncovalent interactions among molecular or polymer building blocks. Hydrogen bonds, host–guest recognition, pi-pi stacking, and electrostatic attraction can each organize these components into a network. Because those associations are reversible rather than permanent, the resulting material can reorganize when its chemical or physical environment changes.
Self-healing follows from the same dynamic bonding that maintains the network. When the material is disrupted, reversible associations can reorganize instead of requiring a permanently fixed structure. This gives researchers a way to adjust mechanical behavior while retaining a hydrated three-dimensional matrix. In bioengineering, that adaptability matters when a material must accommodate changing conditions or biological interactions.
Environmental responsiveness arises because noncovalent associations can change as surrounding conditions shift. Changes in pH, temperature, ion concentration, or biochemical signals may therefore alter how molecular or polymer components associate. This tunability lets researchers investigate and design materials whose behavior responds to selected cues, rather than remaining fixed under all conditions.
Supramolecular Hydrogels can model extracellular environments because they combine a water-rich, three-dimensional setting with adaptable interactions. Their reversible bonds allow the network to change its organization and mechanical behavior, while the hydrated matrix provides a soft material context. This makes them useful in bioengineering studies examining how cells or therapeutic systems function within engineered surroundings.
Supramolecular Hydrogels support injectable matrices because their adaptable networks can be designed as soft, hydrated materials for biomedical use. The same platform also supports controlled drug delivery, where responsive network behavior can inform therapeutic-system design. Researchers can therefore use these materials when delivery and a surrounding biomaterial environment are both important to the intended application.
In cell encapsulation, the hydrogel provides a three-dimensional hydrated setting around cells, while in tissue-regeneration research it can serve as a scaffold. Its reversible interactions and tunable mechanical behavior allow the material to be adapted to the intended bioengineering context. These applications connect molecular self-assembly with the design of cellular and tissue-supporting environments.
Selection begins with the desired response and biological use. Researchers can consider whether the material should respond to pH, temperature, ions, or biochemical signals, and whether its role is injection, drug delivery, cell encapsulation, or tissue regeneration. Reversible bonding is also relevant when self-healing or tunable mechanical behavior is needed in the final design.