| Autor: |
Ruben Van Lommel, Julie Van Hooste, Johannes Vandaele, Gert Steurs, Tom Van der Donck, Frank De Proft, Susana Rocha, Dimitrios Sakellariou, Mercedes Alonso, Wim M. De Borggraeve |
| Jazyk: |
angličtina |
| Rok vydání: |
2022 |
| Předmět: |
|
| Zdroj: |
Gels, Vol 8, Iss 12, p 813 (2022) |
| Druh dokumentu: |
article |
| ISSN: |
2310-2861 |
| DOI: |
10.3390/gels8120813 |
| Popis: |
The supramolecular gelation of small molecules is typically preceded by an external stimulus to trigger the self-assembly. The need for this trigger stems from the metastable nature of most supramolecular gels and can limit their applicability. Herein, we present a small urea-based molecule that spontaneously forms a stable hydrogel by simple mixing without the addition of an external trigger. Single particle tracking experiments and observations made from scanning electron microscopy indicated that triggerless gelation occurred in a similar fashion as the archetypical heat-triggered gelation. These results could stimulate the search for other supramolecular hydrogels that can be obtained by simple mixing. Furthermore, the mechanism of the heat-triggered supramolecular gelation was elucidated by a combination of molecular dynamics simulations and quantitative NMR experiments. Surprisingly, hydrogelation seemingly occurs via a stepwise self-assembly in which spherical nanoparticles mature into an entangled fibrillary network. |
| Databáze: |
Directory of Open Access Journals |
| Externí odkaz: |
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