Search results for "HYDROGELS"

Template-free synthesis and structural evolution of discrete hydroxycancrinite zeolite nanorods from high-concentration hydrogels.

2017

We report the synthesis and characterization of hydroxycancrinite zeolite nanorods by a simple hydrothermal treatment of aluminosilicate hydrogels at high concentrations of precursors without the use of structure-directing agents. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis reveals that cancrinite nanorods, with lengths of 200-800 nm and diameters of 30-50 nm, exhibit a hexagonal morphology and are elongated along the crystallographic c direction. The powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and TEM studies revealed sequential events of hydrogel formation, the formation of aggregated sodalite nuclei, the conversion of sodalite to cancrinite and finally the gro…

Wavelength-Gated Adaptation of Hydrogel Properties via Photo-Dynamic Multivalency in Associative Star Polymers.

2020

Abstract Responsive materials, such as switchable hydrogels, have been largely engineered for maximum changes between two states. In contrast, adaptive systems target distinct functional plateaus between these maxima. Here, we demonstrate how the photostationary state (PSS) of an E/Z‐arylazopyrazole photoswitch can be tuned by the incident wavelength across a wide color spectrum, and how this behavior can be exploited to engineer the photo‐dynamic mechanical properties of hydrogels based on multivalent photoswitchable interactions. We show that these hydrogels adapt to the wavelength‐dependent PSS and the number of arylazopyrazole units by programmable relationships. Hence, our material des…

One-Component DNA Mechanoprobes for Facile Mechanosensing in Photopolymerized Hydrogels and Elastomers.

2021

DNA mechanosensors offer unique properties for mechano-adaptive and self-reporting materials, such as programmable bond strength and geometrical strain response, tunable fluorescent strain sensing, interfacing to biological systems, and the ability to store mechanical information. However, the facile incorporation of advanced DNA motifs into polymer networks and achieving robustness in application settings remain difficult. Herein, we introduce one-component DNA mechanoprobes that can be easily polymerized into polymer hydrogels and even elastomers to allow strain-induced fluorescence sensing. The all-in-one mechanoprobe contains a DNA hairpin for programmable force sensing, an internal flu…

Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) and Copolymers: A Review on Recent Progresses in Biomedical Applications.

2017

The innate ability of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) thermo-responsive hydrogel to copolymerize and to graft synthetic polymers and biomolecules, in conjunction with the highly controlled methods of radical polymerization which are now available, have expedited the widespread number of papers published in the last decade—especially in the biomedical field. Therefore, PNIPAAm-based hydrogels are extensively investigated for applications on the controlled delivery of active molecules, in self-healing materials, tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, or in the smart encapsulation of cells. The most promising polymers for biodegradability enhancement of PNIPAAm hydrogels are probably…

E-beam irradiation and UV photocrosslinking of microemulsion-laden poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) hydrogels for ‘‘in situ’’ encapsulation of volatile hy…

2011

Gelled microemulsions are the subject of considerable scientific and commercial interest. Many efforts are currently devoted to improving their toxicological profile and functioning as biocompatible diffusion barrier for the controlled delivery of hydrophobic compounds. In the present investigation, a non-ionic polymeric surfactant was chosen to generate an oil-in-water microemulsion of a model fragrance in the presence of poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) (PVP). The microemulsion was then subjected to either electron-beam or UV-irradiation to induce free-radical crosslinking of PVP at low temperature and in the absence of crosslinking agents, catalysts and initiators. Irradiation conditions with…

Dynamic Model Metallo‐Supramolecular Dual‐Network Hydrogels with Independently Tunable Network Crosslinks

2020

Hydrogel films engineered in a mesoscopically ordered structure and responsive to ethanol vapors

2014

Abstract Responsive hydrogels filling the interstitial spaces of photonic crystals can form mesoscopically structured materials, which exhibit reversible shifts in the Bragg diffracted light as a response of environmental changes. These materials can be used to generate chemical or biochemical sensors. The present work reports on the synthesis and characterization of ethanol responsive hydrogels that can be used in the design of novel breathalyzers. The dynamic mechanical behavior of the macroscopic hydrogels and their swelling features in the presence of different liquids or vapors have been investigated to orientate the choice of the best responsive material and curing process. The swelli…

Smart hydrogels for novel optical functions

2007

Nanocomposites of inherently conductive polyaniline (PANT) within a highly hydrophilic polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) based hydrogel have been produced by coupling a conventional dispersion chemical oxidative polymerization to a subsequent high energy irradiation step, in order to convert the polymer stabilizing the aqueous dispersion, namely the PVA, into a highly water swollen hydrogel incorporating the PANT particles. The incorporation of the electroactive and "pH-sensitive" polymer into a transparent and highly permeable hydrogel matrix has been pursued as a route to the development of a novel class of potentially biocompatible, smart hydrogels that can respond to changes of the surrounding en…

Connectivity Defects and Collective Assemblies in Model Metallo‐Supramolecular Dual‐Network Hydrogels

2019

Reversible Modulation of Elasticity in Fluoroazobenzene-Containing Hydrogels Using Green and Blue Light.

2017

Hydrogels are soft materials that have found multiple applications in biomedicine and represent a good platform for the introduction of molecular switches and synthetic machines into macromolecular networks. Tuning their mechanical properties reversibly with light is appealing for a variety of advanced applications and has been demonstrated in the past; however, their activation typically requires the use of UV light, which displays several drawbacks related to its damaging character and limited penetration in tissues and materials. This study circumvents this limitation by introducing all-visible ortho-fluoroazobenzene switches into a hydrophilic network, which, as a result, can be activat…