Sol-gel Transition
Sol-gel Transition - Related Videos
10:44
A Guided Materials Screening Approach for Developing Quantitative Sol-gel Derived Protein Microarrays
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Cited by 1 •
2013
A guided material screening approach to develop sol-gel derived protein doped microarrays using an emerging pin-printing method of fabrication is described. This methodology is demonstrated through the development of acetylcholinesterase and multikinase microarrays, which are used for cost-effective small-molecule screening.
02:31
Phase Transitions
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2020
Whether solid, liquid, or gas, a substance's state depends on the order and arrangement of its particles (atoms, molecules, or ions). Particles in the solid pack closely together, generally in a pattern. The particles vibrate about their fixed positions but do not move or squeeze past their neighbors. In liquids, although the particles are closely spaced, they are randomly arranged. The position of the particles are not fixed—that is, they are free to move past their neighbors to occupy...
01:58
Cooperative Allosteric Transitions
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2020
Cooperative allosteric transitions can occur in multimeric proteins, where each subunit of the protein has its own ligand-binding site. When a ligand binds to any of these subunits, it triggers a conformational change that affects the binding sites in the other subunits; this can change the affinity of the other sites for their respective ligands. The ability of the protein to change the shape of its binding site is attributed to the presence of a mix of flexible and stable segments in the...
02:58
Properties of Transition Metals
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2020
Transition metals are defined as those elements that have partially filled d orbitals. As shown in Figure 1, the d-block elements in groups 3–12 are transition elements. The f-block elements, also called inner transition metals (the lanthanides and actinides), also meet this criterion because the d orbital is partially occupied before the f orbitals. Figure 1: Periodic Table. The transition metals are located in groups 3–11 of the periodic table. The inner transition metals are in the two rows...
06:30
Gel Purification
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2023
Gel purification is used to recover DNA fragments after electrophoretic separation. DNA recovery from an agarose gel includes three basic steps: binding, washing and eluting from a silica column. DNA is believed to bind to silica in the presence of high salt via a salt bridge. Following binding, DNA is washed of impurities and eluted under low salt conditions disrupting this interaction. This video goes through a step-by-step, generalized procedure for cutting out a band from the gel, gel...
FAQs
Dissolved polymers or colloidal particles form physical or chemical crosslinks that connect separate components into an increasingly continuous network. As connectivity rises, the material becomes more viscous and eventually exhibits elastic behavior. The type and extent of crosslinking therefore influence whether the resulting gel behaves as a reversible or irreversible material.
These conditions alter how readily the system develops crosslinks and how quickly its viscosity and mechanical behavior change. Polymer or particle concentration affects the availability of network-forming components, while temperature, pH, and ionic conditions can shift gelation behavior. Adjusting them helps control when the material transitions and what structure it develops.
Reversible systems can return toward a liquid-like state when the conditions governing their network change, whereas irreversible systems retain the formed network. This distinction affects how a material behaves during placement and afterward. It also helps researchers choose systems that either permit flow-related adjustment or provide more persistent stabilization for a bioengineering application.
Gelation kinetics describe how quickly the network develops and provide a way to tune the material during formation. The resulting rate affects structure and mechanics, including porosity and stiffness, while also influencing degradation and biological compatibility. Controlling kinetics therefore links the transition conditions to the performance of the finished biomaterial.
The material is first maintained in a flowable, sol-like state so it can be placed or injected. After placement, conditions that promote crosslinking allow its viscosity to increase and an elastic network to form. This sequence combines delivery with subsequent stabilization, making the transition central to controlling the material's behavior in the target location.
Researchers can use gel formation to create a stabilized material environment after placement, while adjusting gelation kinetics to tune porosity and stiffness. Those structural properties are important for designing biomaterials used in three-dimensional cell culture and tissue engineering. The same adjustments must also account for degradation and biological compatibility within the intended application.
Gelation can convert a flowable formulation into a stabilized network after placement, helping researchers design materials for drug delivery. By regulating concentration, temperature, pH, ionic conditions, and gelation kinetics, they can control network structure and mechanics. These controls also support evaluation of degradation and biological compatibility alongside the delivery function.