Bioinspired functional self-healing hydrogels from a minimalistic dipeptide building block

Abstract

Bioinspiration is of paramount importance for the innovation of novel biomaterials through nanotechnology. Short peptide-based bioinspired building blocks interact supramolecularly and produce materials where individual molecules' attributes are transferred to...

Synergistic Coassembly of Folic Acid-Based Supramolecular Polymer with a Covalent Polymer Toward Fabricating Functional Antibacterial Biomaterials

“…9 Over the past two decades, there has been remarkable growth in research activity in the area of small-molecular/supramolecular gels due to their customizable and programmable nature. They find extensive applications in various high-tech fields such as drug delivery, 10 tissue engineering, 11 wound healing, 12 antimicrobial activity, 13 water remediation, 14,15 flexible supercapacitors, 16 optoelectronics, 17 piezoelectric materials, 18 etc. Despite many advantages, utilization of supramolecular assemblies and gels for practical purposes is restricted to some extent by their weak mechanical rigidity and lack of adequate chemical and functional diversity.…”

“…Over the past two decades, there has been remarkable growth in research activity in the area of small-molecular/supramolecular gels due to their customizable and programmable nature. They find extensive applications in various high-tech fields such as drug delivery, tissue engineering, wound healing, antimicrobial activity, water remediation, , flexible supercapacitors, optoelectronics, piezoelectric materials, etc.…”

“…Despite many advantages, utilization of supramolecular assemblies and gels for practical purposes is restricted to some extent by their weak mechanical rigidity and lack of adequate chemical and functional diversity. A straightforward way to enhance the gel properties is by generating coassembled gels, achieved by molecular-level interaction of small-molecular building blocks with covalent polymers, 19 quantum dots, 20 graphene, 21 graphene oxide, 15 fullerene, 22 carbon nanotubes, 23 and metal nanoparticles. 24 By coassembling the supramolecular polymers of the low-molecular-weight gelator (LMWG) with a covalent polymer, the responsiveness of the LMWG is synergistically harnessed with the superior mechanical attributes of the polymer.…”

“…However, they face serious threats from pollutants like toxic and carcinogenic dyes used in various industries. 50 There are several methods to eliminate these dyes like flocculation, 51 adsorption, 15 ion exchange, 52 UV radiation, 53 ozonization, 54 and electrochemical processes, which are often expensive and cause secondary contamination. As a result, environmental chemists are seeking cost-effective techniques.…”