While supramolecular hydrogels have received growing interest due to their unique dynamic features,their relatively weak mechanical properties have largely limited their biomedical applications.In this study,we propos...While supramolecular hydrogels have received growing interest due to their unique dynamic features,their relatively weak mechanical properties have largely limited their biomedical applications.In this study,we propose and demonstrate a strategy to reinforce the mechanical properties of supramolecular hydrogel by introducing polymeric multiple-unit linker(PMUL),which incorporates multiple supramolecular units into a polymeric backbone to crosslink supramolecular hydrogel.We demonstrated that PMUL can effectively improve the kinetic stability of supramolecular crosslinkers through multiple-unit interaction in a DNA supramolecular hydrogel model system,thus leading to higher mechanical strength.Meanwhile,the dynamic features of the supramolecular hydrogels have been well preserved,including shear-thinning,self-healing properties,and reversible thermal responsiveness.This strategy offers a simple but effective way for mechanical reinforcement of supramolecular hydrogels to construct novel biomaterials.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(grant nos.21890731,21821001,21534007,21971248,and 21890730)the National Basic Research Plan of China(grant no.2018YFA0208900)the Institute of Chemistry CAS(grant no.C220200701).
文摘While supramolecular hydrogels have received growing interest due to their unique dynamic features,their relatively weak mechanical properties have largely limited their biomedical applications.In this study,we propose and demonstrate a strategy to reinforce the mechanical properties of supramolecular hydrogel by introducing polymeric multiple-unit linker(PMUL),which incorporates multiple supramolecular units into a polymeric backbone to crosslink supramolecular hydrogel.We demonstrated that PMUL can effectively improve the kinetic stability of supramolecular crosslinkers through multiple-unit interaction in a DNA supramolecular hydrogel model system,thus leading to higher mechanical strength.Meanwhile,the dynamic features of the supramolecular hydrogels have been well preserved,including shear-thinning,self-healing properties,and reversible thermal responsiveness.This strategy offers a simple but effective way for mechanical reinforcement of supramolecular hydrogels to construct novel biomaterials.
