Triterpenoid‐Based Self‐Healing Supramolecular Polymer Hydrogels Formed by Host–Guest Interactions |
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| Authors: | Dr Ying Li Jianzuo Li Dr Xia Zhao Dr Qiang Yan Yuxia Gao Jie Hao Dr Jun Hu Dr Yong Ju |
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| Institution: | 1. State Key Lab of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, P.R. China;2. College of Chemistry and Material Science, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, P. R. China;3. Department of Macromolecular Science, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Fudan University, Shanghai, P.R. China;4. Department of Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry&Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, Tsinghua University, Beijing, P. R. China |
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| Abstract: | Pentacyclic triterpenoids, a class of naturally bioactive products having multiple functional groups, unique chiral centers, rigid skeletons, and good biocompatibility, are ideal building blocks for fabricating versatile supramolecular structures. In this research, the natural pentacyclic triterpenoid glycyrrhetinic acid (GA) was used as a guest molecule for β‐cyclodextrin (β‐CD) to form a GA/β‐CD (1:1) inclusion complex. By means of GA and β‐CD pendant groups in N,N′‐dimethylacrylamide copolymers, a supramolecular polymer hydrogel can be physically cross‐linked by host–guest interactions between GA and β‐CD moieties. Moreover, self‐healing of this hydrogel was observed and confirmed by step‐strain rheological measurements, whereby the maximum storage modulus occurred at a GA]/β‐CD] molar ratio of 1:1. Additionally, these polymers displayed outstanding biocompatibility. The introduction of a natural pentacyclic triterpenoid into a hydrogel system not only provides a biocompatible guest–host complementary GA/β‐CD pair, but also makes this hydrogel an attractive candidate for tissue engineering. |
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| Keywords: | cyclodextrins gels host– guest systems self-healing materials terpenoids |
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