A photocleavable terpolymer hydrogel cross‐linked with o‐nitrobenzyl derivative cross‐linker is shown to be capable of self‐shaping without losing its physical integrity and robustness due to spontaneous asymmetric swelling of network caused by UV‐light‐induced gradient cleavage of chemical cross‐linkages. The continuum model and finite element method are used to elucidate the curling mechanism underlying. Remarkably, based on the self‐changing principle, the photosensitive hydrogels can be developed as photoprinting soft and wet platforms onto which specific 3D characters and images are faithfully duplicated in macro/microscale without contact by UV light irradiation under the cover of customized photomasks. Importantly, a quick response (QR) code is accurately printed on the photoactive hydrogel for the first time. Scanning QR code with a smartphone can quickly connect to a web page. This photoactive hydrogel is promising to be a new printing or recording material.
The chemical control of cell division has attracted much attention in the areas of single cell‐based biology and high‐throughput screening platforms. A mussel‐inspired cytocompatible encapsulation method for achieving a “cell‐division control” with cross‐linked layer‐by‐layer (LbL) shells is developed. Catechol‐grafted polyethyleneimine and hyaluronic acid are chosen as polyelectrolytes for the LbL process, and the cross‐linking of polyelectrolytes is performed at pH 8.5. Cell division is controlled by the number of the LbL nanolayers and cross‐linking reaction. We also suggest a new measuring unit, , for quantifying “cell‐division timing” based on microbial growth kinetics.
The dynamic covalent characteristics of oxime and boronate ester bonds have been explored. A small excess of a competing aldehyde under acidic conditions resulted in oxime polymer degradation from high molecular weights (30 kDa) to low molecular weight oligomers (2.2 kDa). The dynamic nature of oxime bonds imparts oxime cross‐linked hydrogels with self‐healing properties and the incorporation of phenyl boronic acid groups into the hydrogel network provides a platform for hydrogel functionalization. The addition of a polyphenol (tannic acid) proves a facile means to incorporate a second, dynamic covalent cross‐linking network through boronate ester formation which, owing to the increase in the degree of cross‐linking, is found to be nearly double the hydrogel strength (storage modulus increased from 4.6 to 8.5 kPa). Finally, the tannic acid cross‐linking network is selectively degraded returning the hydrogel storage modulus to its initial value and providing a means for the synthesis of materials with tunable mechanical properties.
Core cross‐linked star (CCS) polymers become increasingly important in polymer science and are evaluated in many value‐added applications. However, limitations exist to varied degrees for different synthetic methods. It is clear that improvement in synthetic efficiency is fundamental in driving this field moving even further. Here, the most recent advances are highlighted in synthetic strategies, including cross‐linking with cross‐linkers of low solubility, polymerization‐induced self‐assembly in aqueous‐based heterogeneous media, and cross‐linking via dynamic covalent bonds. The understanding of CCS polymers is also further refined to advocate their role as an intermediate between linear polymers and polymeric nanoparticles, and their use as interfacial stabilizers is rationalized within this context.
A free‐standing polymer brush film with tailored thicknesses based on a colorless polydopamine (PDA) thin layer is prepared and characterized. The surface‐initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of 2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) is performed on a PDA layer with thickness of ca. 6 nm, which generated an optically transparent and colorless free‐standing PHEMA brush film (1.5 cm × 1.5 cm). Because the cross‐linked PDA layer is used as the base for the polymer brushes, the reported method does not require cross‐linking the polymer brushes. The free‐standing film thicknesses of ≈16–75 nm are controlled by simply changing the ATRP reaction time. The results show that the free‐standing PHEMA brush film transferred onto a plate exhibits a relatively smooth surface and is stable in any solvent.
In this study, mechanically strong hydrogels are synthesized by photopolymerization of 2‐vinyl‐4,6‐diamino‐1,3,5‐triazine, poly(ethylene glycol) methacrylate, and disulfide‐containing cross‐linker, N′N‐bis(acryloyl)cystamine. The bilayer hydrogel with distinct cross‐linking density is shown to self‐roll into a 3D tube, which could still be well reinforced by hydrogen bondings, upon exposing reductants such as 1,4‐dithio‐DL‐threitol (DTT) or L‐glutathione (GSH), because the redox‐induced cleavage of disulfide bonds results in the imbalanced internal shrinking stress between two layers. At an intracellular level of GSH, model L929 cells‐seeded bilayer gel sheet could curl up into a 3D tubular scaffold where the cells maintained good viability.
Polyurethane (PU) monomer mixtures containing commercially available o‐nitrobenzyl‐based photocleavable monomers have been formulated and tested as low‐cost positive tone photoresists. The photolysis reaction is studied by UV spectroscopy. Well‐defined micropatterns on 2 μm thick photodegradable PU films are obtained using 365 nm light exposure. This strategy is also extended to improved formulations based on synthesized o‐nitrobiphenylpropyl derivatives with enhanced photochemical properties for single photon excitation and high two‐photon absorption cross‐sections. Improved pattern resolution in 2D and the capability of 3D resolution using a scanning laser at 780 nm is demonstrated. This work demonstrates the potential of PUs as readily available, versatile, and easy‐to‐use photoresist materials for low‐cost lithography applications.
This paper describes a method for fabricating protein‐based capsules with semipermeable and enzyme‐degradable surface barriers. It involves the use of a simple fluidic device to generate water‐in‐oil emulsion droplets, followed by cross‐linking of proteins at the water–oil interface to generate a semipermeable surface barrier. The capsules can be readily fabricated with uniform and controllable sizes and, more importantly, show selective permeability toward molecules with different molecular weights: small molecules like fluorescein sodium salt can freely diffuse through the surface barrier while macromolecules such as proteins can not. The proteins, however, can be released by digesting the surface barrier with an enzyme such as pepsin. Taken together, the capsules hold great potential for applications in controlled release, in particular, for the delivery of protein drugs.
A self‐healing hydrogel is prepared by crosslinking acrylamide with a host–guest macro‐crosslinker assembled from poly(β‐cyclodextrin) nanogel and azobenzeneacrylamide. The photoisomerizable azobenzene moiety can change its binding affinity with β‐cyclodextrin, therefore the crosslinking density and rheology property of the hydrogel can be tuned with light stimulus. The hydrogel can repair its wound autonomously through the dynamic host–guest interaction. In addition, the wounded hydrogel will lose its ability of self‐healing when exposed to ultraviolet light, and the self‐healing behavior can be recovered upon the irradiation of visible light. The utilizing of host–guest macro‐crosslinking approach manifests the as‐prepared hydrogel reversible and light‐switchable self‐healing property, which would broaden the potential applications of self‐healing polymers.
A simple strategy is provided to construct a novel pH‐ and sugar‐induced shape memory hydrogel based on dynamic phenylboronic acid (PBA)–diol interactions formed by PBA‐modified sodium alginate (Alg‐PBA) and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA). The dynamic PBA–diol ester bonds serve as temporary cross‐links and stabilize the deformed shape of the hydrogel. The disassociation of the PBA–diol ester bonds is explored in acidic conditions and aqueous solutions of glucose and fructose, which endow the hydrogel with shape memory performances.
Hierarchical self‐assembly of transient composite hydrogels is demonstrated through a two‐step, orthogonal strategy using nanoparticle tectons interconnected through metal–ligand coordination complexes. The resulting materials are highly tunable with moduli and viscosities spanning many orders of magnitude, and show promising self‐healing properties, while maintaining complete optical transparency.
A novel rod‐containing block copolymer is constructed by supramacromolecular self‐assembly of α‐cyclodextrin and a triblock copolymer with methoxy polyethylene glycol as the flanking chains and the midterm block alternately connected by 2,2‐dimethylolbutyric acid and isophorone diisocyanate. The assembled rod‐containing block copolymer shows an exciting phenomenon of concentration‐ and pH‐dependent morphological switching of well‐defined nanostructures. In the solutions at pH 9.2, spherical micelles, rod‐like micelles, and hydrogel are observed successively with an increase of the concentration. Notably, the rod‐like micelles are composed of spherical segments due to the combination of the crystalline cores of the spherical micelles. In addition, 1D nanostructures with different curvatures from linear rod‐like micelles (pH 9.2) to ring‐shaped micelles (pH 7.5) can be obtained by controlling the pH values of the assembled systems.
This work demonstrates a new halogenation reaction through sequential radical and halogen transfer reactions, named as “radical and atom transfer halogenation” (RATH). Both benzoxazine compounds and poly(2,6‐dimethyl‐1,4‐phenylene oxide) have been demonstrated as active species for RATH. Consequently, the halogenated compound becomes an active initiator of atom transfer radical polymerization. Combination of RATH and sequential ATRP provides an convenient and effective approach to prepare reactive and crosslinkable polymers. The RATH reaction opens a new window both to chemical synthesis and molecular design and preparation of polymeric materials.
A triptycene‐based microporous organic polymer (MOP) in which 2,6‐bis(benzimidazol‐2‐yl)pyridine (bbp) is incorporated as linkage and coordination site is designed and synthesized. Pd(II) ions are further immobilized in this MOP through the coordination interactions between Pd(II) ion and nitrogen atoms of bbp. The resulting material shows high stability and exhibits excellent heterogeneously catalytic activity for the Suzuki–Miyaura cross‐coupling reaction. Its high efficiency can be maintained after being reused for a number of cycles.
Recent developments regarding charged multiblock copolymers that can form physical networks and exhibit robust mechanical properties herald new and exciting opportunities for contemporary technologies requiring amphiphilic attributes. Due to the presence of strong interactions, however, control over the phase behavior of such materials remains challenging, especially since their morphologies can be solvent‐templated. In this study, transmission electron microscopy and microtomography are employed to examine the morphological characteristics of midblock‐sulfonated pentablock ionomers prepared from solvents differing in polarity. Resultant images confirm that discrete, spherical ion‐rich microdomains form in films cast from a relatively nonpolar solvent, whereas an apparently mixed morphology with a continuous ion‐rich pathway is generated when the casting solvent is more highly polar. Detailed 3D analysis of the morphological characteristics confirms the coexistence of hexagonally‐packed nonpolar cylinders and lamellae, which facilitates the diffusion of ions and/or other polar species through the nanostructured medium.
Anion recognition between the triurea receptor and phosphate anion is demonstrated as the cross‐linkage to build supramolecular polymer gels for the first time. A novel multi‐block copolymer ( 3) is designed to have functional triurea groups as cross‐linking units along the polymer main chain. By virtue of anion coordination between the triurea receptor and phosphate anion with a binding mode of 2:1, supramolecular polymer gels are then prepared based on anion recognition using 3 as the building block.
In this work, syndiotactic polypropylene (sPP) as well as isotactic polypropylene (iPP) are cross‐linked to gain a shape memory effect. Both prepared PP networks exhibit maximum strains of 700%, stored strains of up to 680%, and recoveries of nearly 100%. While x‐iPP is stable for many cycles, x‐sPP ruptures after the first shape‐memory cycle. It is shown by wide‐angle X‐ray scattering (WAXS) experiments that cross‐linked iPP exhibits homoepitaxy in the temporary, stretched shape but in contrast to previous reports it contains a higher amount of daughter than mother crystals.
This communication describes photoresponsive gels, prepared using ring‐opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP), that dissolve upon irradiation with ultraviolet light. Exposure of mixtures of norbornene‐type ROMP monomers and new photoreactive cross‐linkers comprising two norbornene units bound through a chain containing o‐nitrobenzyl esters (NBEs) to well‐known ruthenium carbene catalysts gave cross‐linked polymer networks that swelled in organic solvents or water depending on the structure of the monomer. These gels became homogeneous upon irradiation with UV light, consistent with breaking of the cross‐links through photolysis of the NBE groups. The irradiation time required for homogenization of the gels depended on the cross‐link density and the structure of the photoresponsive cross‐linker.
A thermally stable 2D array of spheres and their morphology control become important for the fabrication of novel nanostructures. Here, a simple method is presented for fabrication of large‐area and well‐ordered arrays of carbonized polystyrene (PS) hollow spheres with a controlled (close‐packed or non‐close‐packed hexagonal) morphology, prepared by combining the self‐assembly of PS‐grafted silica nanoparticles, etching, electron irradiation, and subsequent thermal annealing. Fine control in the 2D or 3D nanostructure of carbon materials can open up new opportunities for high‐performance nanoscale applications that require an efficient fabrication method for preparation of the porous carbon array.
Aggregation‐induced emission (AIE) dye‐based cross‐linked fluorescent polymeric nanoparticles (FPNs) are facilely prepared via a two‐step polymerization process including emulsion polymerization and subsequent anhydride cross‐linking. Then, a variety of characterization methods are carried out to determine the performance of the FPNs, which show high dispersibility and strong fluorescence in an aqueous solution due to the hydrophilic carboxyl groups on the surfaces and the AIE components as the cores. Biocompatibility evaluation and cell imaging results suggest that these FPNs are biocompatible for cell imaging. More importantly, this cross‐linking strategy is proven to overcome the issue of critical micelle concentration and opens the opportunity to develop more robust fluorescent bioprobes.
