Guanosine-Derived Supramolecular Hydrogels: Recent Developments and Future Opportunities

Abstract

Hydrogels are attractive materials for designing sensors, catalysts, scaffolds for tissue engineering, stimuli responsive soft materials, and controlled-release drug delivery systems. In recent years, self-assembly of guanosine and its derivatives has received immense interests for devising programmable supramolecular biomaterials including hydrogels. This perspective highlights some of the history and the recent developments of guanosine-based supramolecular hydrogels and their applications. Future prospects and scope of the guanosine-based hydrogels have also been discussed.

Impact of Conformational Effects on the Ring–Chain Equilibrium of Hydrogen‐Bonded Dinucleosides

“…On the other hand, these ethynylated or halogenated nucleobase precursors were synthesized by following previously reported methods. [16,17] We reasoned that reducing the distance between the nucleobases might also bring new effects that were not dominant or absent in the larger monomers (i.e., n = 1-5). On one hand, the steric effects between the bulky lipophilic riboses would be higher in the syn conformation, that is, the conformation re- Figure 1.…”

Construction of Supramolecular Organogel with Circularly Polarized Luminescence by Self-Assembled Guanosine Octamer

“… 3 - 14 One particularly interesting application in G-quadruplexes is the formation of gels for tissue engineering, cell culture, and drug delivery. 15 - 17 The fibrous gel network can be constructed through the dynamic supramolecular self-assembly of guanosine. As one of the representative examples, Davis and coworkers 18 introduced borate ester linkages into guanosine self-assembly with the formation of G 4 -hydrogels in 2014 ( Scheme 1A , left).…”

“…In the previously reported G-gel systems, ribose modification is the dominant approach for the construction of a fibrous network. 15 - 17 , 45 , 46 The guanine part only serves as a H-bonding carrier. The only variable synthetic handle on guanine, C-8 position, remained less developed for gelation ( Scheme 1A ).…”

Self‐Assembly of Di‐Guanine Peptide Nucleic Acid Amphiphiles into Fractal Patterns

“…For example, PNAs containing guanine were assembled into discrete architectures showing exciting optical properties, such as voltage dependent electroluminescence and excitation dependent fluorescence in the visible region . The supramolecular biomaterials including hydrogels containing guanosine and its derivatives were recently reviewed by Bhattacharyya et al . The supramolecular self‐assembly of guanosine resulted in formation of macrocyclic G‐quartet units with a central cavity containing four carbonyl oxygens that provide potential site for coordination with cations such as Na + , K + , and can hold water to form hydrogels .…”

“…The supramolecular biomaterials including hydrogels containing guanosine and its derivatives were recently reviewed by Bhattacharyya et al . The supramolecular self‐assembly of guanosine resulted in formation of macrocyclic G‐quartet units with a central cavity containing four carbonyl oxygens that provide potential site for coordination with cations such as Na + , K + , and can hold water to form hydrogels . Stimuli responsive supramolecular polymers were also developed by conjugation of guanine with diphenylalanine which could self‐assemble through hydrogen bonding and metal coordination .…”