Facile preparation of chemically cross-linked microgels by irradiation of visible light at room temperature

Polymer Gels: Classification and Recent Developments in Biomedical Applications

Polymer gels are a valuable class of polymeric materials that have recently attracted significant interest due to the exceptional properties such as versatility, soft-structure, flexibility and stimuli-responsive, biodegradability, and biocompatibility. Based on their properties, polymer gels can be used in a wide range of applications: food industry, agriculture, biomedical, and biosensors. The utilization of polymer gels in different medical and industrial applications requires a better understanding of the formation process, the factors which affect the gel's stability, and the structure-rheological properties relationship. The present review aims to give an overview of the polymer gels, the classification of polymer gels' materials to highlight their important features, and the recent development in biomedical applications. Several perspectives on future advancement of polymer hydrogel are offered.

Aggressive strategies for regenerating intervertebral discs: stimulus-responsive composite hydrogels from single to multiscale delivery systems

As our research on the physiopathology of intervertebral disc degeneration (IVD degeneration, IVDD) has advanced and tissue engineering has rapidly evolved, cell-, biomolecule- and nucleic acid-based hydrogel grafting strategies have been widely investigated for their ability to overcome the harsh microenvironment of IVDD. However, such single delivery systems suffer from excessive external dimensions, difficult performance control, the need for surgical implantation, and difficulty in eliminating degradation products. Stimulus-responsive composite hydrogels have good biocompatibility and controllable mechanical properties and can undergo solution-gel phase transition under certain conditions. Their combination with ready-to-use particles to form a multiscale delivery system may be a breakthrough for regenerative IVD strategies. In this paper, we focus on summarizing the progress of research on the stimulus response mechanisms of regenerative IVD-related biomaterials and their design as macro-, micro- and nanoparticles. Finally, we discuss multi-scale delivery systems as bioinks for bio-3D printing technology for customizing personalized artificial IVDs, which promises to take IVD regenerative strategies to new heights.

Bifunctional Phenol-enabled Sequential Polymerization Strategy for Printable Tough Hydrogels

Hydrogels are promising material candidates in engineering soft robotics, mechanical sensors, biomimetic regenerative medicine, etc. However, developing multinetwork hydrogels with high mechanical properties and excellent printability is still challenging. Here, we report a bifunctional phenol-enabled sequential polymerization (BPSP) strategy to fabricate high-performance multinetwork hydrogels under the orthogonal catalysis of efficient ruthenium photochemistry. Benefiting from this bifunctional design, phenols can sequentially polymerize with typical monomers and themselves to fabricate various phenol-containing polymers (Ph-Ps) and Ph-Ps-based multinetwork tough hydrogels, respectively. The as-prepared hydrogels have maximum stress of 0.75 MPa and toughness of 2.2 MJ/m³ under the critical strain of 800%. These property parameters are a maximum of 16 times higher than that of the phenol-postmodified and phenol-free hydrogels. Moreover, the rapid coupling polymerization of phenols can shorten the gelation times of hydrogels to as low as ∼4 s, which enables its printable property for customizable applications. As a proof of concept, a 3D scaffold-like structure is optimized as highly sensitive mechanical sensors for detecting various human motions. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

On the Mechanism and Kinetics of Synthesizing Polymer Nanogels by Ionizing Radiation-Induced Intramolecular Crosslinking of Macromolecules

Nanogels-internally crosslinked macromolecules-have a growing palette of potential applications, including as drug, gene or radioisotope nanocarriers and as in vivo signaling molecules in modern diagnostics and therapy. This has triggered considerable interest in developing new methods for their synthesis. The procedure based on intramolecular crosslinking of polymer radicals generated by pulses of ionizing radiation has many advantages. The substrates needed are usually simple biocompatible polymers and water. This eliminates the use of monomers, chemical crosslinking agents, initiators, surfactants, etc., thus limiting potential problems with the biocompatibility of products. This review summarizes the basics of this method, providing background information on relevant aspects of polymer solution thermodynamics, radiolysis of aqueous solutions, generation and reactions of polymer radicals, and the non-trivial kinetics and mechanism of crosslinking, focusing on the main factors influencing the outcomes of the radiation synthesis of nanogels: molecular weight of the starting polymer, its concentration, irradiation mode, absorbed dose of ionizing radiation and temperature. The most important techniques used to perform the synthesis, to study the kinetics and mechanism of the involved reactions, and to assess the physicochemical properties of the formed nanogels are presented. Two select important cases, the synthesis of nanogels based on polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and/or poly(acrylic acid) (PAA), are discussed in more detail. Examples of recent application studies on radiation-synthesized PVP and PAA nanogels in transporting drugs across the blood-brain barrier and as targeted radioisotope carriers in nanoradiotherapy are briefly described.

Visible-light-assisted multimechanism design for one-step engineering tough hydrogels in seconds

Tough hydrogels that are capable of efficient mechanical energy dissipation and withstanding large strains have potential applications in diverse areas. However, most reported fabrication strategies are performed in multiple steps with long-time UV irradiation or heating at high temperatures, limiting their biological and industrial applications. Hydrogels formed with a single pair of mechanisms are unstable in harsh conditions. Here we report a one-step, biocompatible, straightforward and general strategy to prepare tough soft hydrogels in a few tens of seconds under mild conditions. With a multimechanism design, the network structures remarkably improve the mechanical properties of hydrogels and maintain their high toughness in various environments. The broad compatibility of the proposed method with a spectrum of printing technologies makes it suitable for potential applications requiring high-resolution patterns/structures. This strategy opens horizons to inspire the design and application of high-performance hydrogels in fields of material chemistry, tissue engineering, and flexible electronics.

Real time quantification of the chemical cross-link density of a hydrogel by in situ UV-vis spectroscopy

A UV-vis spectroscopy-based method has been proposed to determine the cross-link density of the samples.

Surface charge inversion of self-assembled monolayers by visible light irradiation: cargo loading and release by photoreactions

In this study, we find that visible light can trigger both the loading and the release of N-alkyl substituted 4-picolinium on self-assembled monolayers (SAM). The latter process will result in surface-charge inversion of the SAM, which can be used for controlled release of molecules of interest.

Fabrication of robust multilayer films by triggering the coupling reaction between phenol and primary amine groups with visible light irradiation

We prepared robust cross-linked (x-linked) multilayer films under visible light irradiation with the catalysis of a Ru(ii) complex. The x-linking is achieved by the coupling reaction between phenol group and primary amine group within the self-assembled multilayer films that were prepared beforehand. Three kinds of polymers, i.e., poly(4-vinylphenol), poly(allylamine) and poly(ethyleneimine), were selected as the model system to illustrate the concept of this strategy. Upon visible light irradiation, the chemical stability of the x-linked films towards solution etching was greatly enhanced. In previous studies, horseradish peroxidase (HRP) is often utilized to catalyze the C-C, C-O and C-N coupling structures, which is useful to prepare polymers, capsules and bulk hydrogels. We also tried to prepare the x-linked films by the catalysis of HRP. The comparison of the two methods suggests that the Ru(ii) complex method is more ideal for fabricating x-linked films. In addition, the photo-triggered chemical reaction within the films was confirmed by the solid-state (13)C NMR, XPS and FT-IR measurements. Without UV light irradiation or thermal treatment, this strategy brings many advantages. It is anticipated that this approach can be easily extended to the applications of the biological related fields in the future.

Photoredox catalysis by [Ru(bpy)3]2+ to trigger transformations of organic molecules. Organic synthesis using visible-light photocatalysis and its 20th century roots

Reactions triggered by light constitute a treasure trove of unique synthetic methods that are available to chemists. Photoinduced redox processes using visible light in conjunction with sensitizing dyes offer a great variety of catalytic transformations useful in the realm of organic synthesis. The recent literature amply shows that this preparative toolbox is expanding substantially. This review discusses historical and contemporary work in the area of photoredox catalysis with [Ru(bpy)3]2+. Elegant examples from the most recent literature document the importance of this fast developing area of research. The photoredox chemistry has also emerged as a promising bond-making and bond-breaking tool for chemical biology and materials chemistry. A review with 96 references.