Supramolecular–Polymer Composite Hydrogels: From In Situ Network Observation to Functional Properties

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Abstract Living cells and organisms are composed of numerous biomolecules and control their concentrations and spatial distribution in a spatiotemporal manner to exhibit intricate biological functions. Inspired by the extracellular matrix, synthetic multi-network hydrogels have attracted attention due to their remarkable properties like extremely high toughness. This account summarizes our research progress on one emerging class of the multi-network hydrogels, supramolecular–polymer composite hydrogel. Composite hydrogels can rationally integrate stimulus response of supramolecular gels and stiffness of polymer gels. Super-resolution microscopy visualizes four types of network patterns at the µm scale: an orthogonal and three interactive networks, which may influence the viscoelastic properties of composite hydrogels. We found a kind of composite hydrogel that shows autonomous network remodeling, enabling fracture-induced 3D gel patterning. Furthermore, we demonstrated that supramolecular–polymer composite hydrogels are applicable as a matrix for controlled release of protein biopharmaceuticals in response to antibodies through incorporation of functional molecules such as enzymes and their inhibitors. Supramolecular–polymer composite hydrogels hold promise as the next-generation smart and responsive soft materials for biomedical applications, including tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

Ce résumé expose les affirmations des auteurs. BNTIC ne l’interprète pas comme une validation indépendante des résultats.