Search results for "stimuli-responsive"

Stimuli-responsive bile acid-based metallogels forming in aqueous media

2015

Abstract The synthesis and gelation properties of a picolinic acid conjugated bile acid derivative in the presence of metal salts along with the stimuli-responsiveness of the systems are reported. The gels are formed in the presence of Cu 2+ ions in the solvent systems composed of 30–50% of organic solvent (MeOH, acetonitrile, or acetone) in water. The gels respond to various stimuli: they can be formed upon sonication or shaking, and their gel–sol transformation can be triggered by a variety of chemical species. NMR, MS, and SEM techniques are exploited in order to gain a deeper insight on the self-assembled systems.

Probing the Folding of Peptide–Polymer Conjugates Using the π-Dimerization of Viologen End-Groups

2020

The synthesis of a foldable viologen-functionalized peptide–polymer conjugate is presented. The ABA-type triblock conjugate with a PEG polymer was capped with a FHFHF pentapeptide sequence and further modified with a viologen building block at both chain ends. The pH-responsive peptide domains fold into an intermediate structure inducing close proximity of the viologen units, which upon a reduction step form π-dimers of the radical cation. Overall the intramolecular folding and intermolecular self-assembly process leads to the formation of supramolecular nanorods. Mixing of viologen-peptide–polymer conjugates with unfunctionalized conjugates leads to crosslinking of the nanorods and hydroge…

Fabrication of Single Cylindrical Au-Coated Nanopores with Non-Homogeneous Fixed Charge Distribution Exhibiting High Current Rectifications

2014

We have designed and characterized a cylindrical nanopore that exhibits high electrochemical current rectification ratios at low and intermediate electrolyte concentrations. For this purpose, the track-etched single cylindrical nanopore in polymer membrane is coated with a gold (Au) layer via electroless plating technique. Then, a non-homogeneous fixed charge distribution inside the Au-coated nanopore is obtained by incorporating thiol-terminated uncharged poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) chains in series to poly(4-vinyl pyridine) (PVP) chains, which are positively charged at acidic pH values. The functionalization reaction is checked by measuring the current–voltage (I–V) curves prior …

Scaffold and scaffold-free self-assembled systems in regenerative medicine.

2016

Self-assembly in tissue engineering refers to the spontaneous chemical or biological association of components to form a distinct functional construct, reminiscent of native tissue. Such self-assembled systems have been widely used to develop platforms for the delivery of therapeutic and/or bioactive molecules and various cell populations. Tissue morphology and functional characteristics have been recapitulated in several self-assembled constructs, designed to incorporate stimuli responsiveness and controlled architecture through spatial confinement or field manipulation. In parallel, owing to substantial functional properties, scaffold-free cell-assembled devices have aided in the developm…

Steroidal derivatives of nitrogen containing compounds as potential gelators

2013

Synthetic/ECM-inspired hybrid platform for hollow microcarriers with ROS-triggered nanoporation hallmarks

2017

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are key pathological signals expressed in inflammatory diseases such as cancer, ischemic conditions and atherosclerosis. An ideal drug delivery system should not only be responsive to these signals but also should not elicit an unfavourable host response. This study presents an innovative platform for drug delivery where a natural/synthetic composite system composed of collagen type I and a synthesized polythioether, ensures a dual stimuli-responsive behaviour. Collagen type I is an extracellular matrix constituent protein, responsive to matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) cleavage per se. Polythioethers are stable synthetic polymers characterized by the presence o…

Stimuli-Responsive Polymeric Nanocarriers for Drug Delivery, Imaging, and Theragnosis.

2020

In the past few decades, polymeric nanocarriers have been recognized as promising tools and have gained attention from researchers for their potential to efficiently deliver bioactive compounds, including drugs, proteins, genes, nucleic acids, etc., in pharmaceutical and biomedical applications. Remarkably, these polymeric nanocarriers could be further modified as stimuli-responsive systems based on the mechanism of triggered release, i.e., response to a specific stimulus, either endogenous (pH, enzymes, temperature, redox values, hypoxia, glucose levels) or exogenous (light, magnetism, ultrasound, electrical pulses) for the effective biodistribution and controlled release of drugs or genes…

Dual Stimuli-Responsive Polysaccharide Hydrogels Manufactured by Radiation Technique

2022

Featured Application Stimuli-responsive hydrogels encompassing biobased polymers are anticipated for utilization in various fields, starting from drug delivery systems through temporal actuators and water reservoirs to biodegradable microelements and nutrient delivery depots. This paper describes the results of the radiation-induced crosslinking of polysaccharides modified with hydroxypropyl and carboxymethyl functional groups, hydroxypropylcellulose (HPC) and carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), respectively, without and with poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) as a crosslinking agent, to obtain dual stimuli-responsive hydrogels. The gels were characterized in terms of water uptake and gel f…

Diarylethenes in Optically Switchable Organic Light-Emitting Diodes: Direct Investigation of the Reversible Charge Carrier Trapping Process

2021

Advanced optical materials 10, (2021). doi:10.1002/adom.202101116

Microfluidic Synthesis of Actuating Microparticles from a Thiol-Ene Based Main-Chain Liquid Crystalline Elastomer.

2016

In this article the microfluidic synthesis of strongly actuating particles on the basis of a liquid crystalline main-chain elastomer is presented. The synthesis is carried out in a capillary-based co-flow microreactor by photo-initiated thiol-ene click chemistry of a liquid crystalline monomer mixture. These microparticles exhibit a deformation from a spherical to a rod-like shape during the thermal-initiated phase transition of the liquid crystalline elastomer (LCE) at which the particles’ aspect ratio is almost doubled. Repeated contraction cycles confirm the complete reversibility of the particles’ actuation properties. The transition temperature of the LCE, the temperature range of the …