Zheng Haozhe, Pochan Darrin J
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA.
Faraday Discuss. 2025 Jun 3. doi: 10.1039/d5fd00044k.
Supramolecular hydrogels are physical hydrogels that are formed by non-covalent interactions such as hydrogen bonding, electrostatic attraction, hydrophobic interactions, and π-π stacking. Compared to typical, chemically cross-linked hydrogels, supramolecular networks commonly have stimuli-responsive behavior including reversibility and injectability, which are being widely studied for uses in drug delivery, tissue engineering, and wound healing. This review highlights recent developments in supramolecular network design and behavior focusing on the different possible molecular building blocks, including peptides, polysaccharides, synthetic polymers, and multicomponent systems. We further discuss self-assembly mechanisms of hydrogel formation, as well as recent advances in stimuli-responsive supramolecular hydrogels triggered by pH, temperature, and light. Advanced characterization techniques such as rheological analysis, spectroscopy, scattering methods, and electron microscopy are summarized to understand hydrogel structure, assembly pathways, and ultimate network properties. This review provides readers with an updated understanding of supramolecular hydrogels and highlights current research presented during the meeting on advances in supramolecular gels, promoting the rational design and development of novel materials to address complex biomedical and other technological challenges.
超分子水凝胶是通过氢键、静电吸引、疏水相互作用和π-π堆积等非共价相互作用形成的物理水凝胶。与典型的化学交联水凝胶相比，超分子网络通常具有刺激响应行为，包括可逆性和可注射性，目前人们正在广泛研究其在药物递送、组织工程和伤口愈合方面的应用。本综述重点介绍了超分子网络设计和行为的最新进展，聚焦于不同的可能分子构建块，包括肽、多糖、合成聚合物和多组分体系。我们还讨论了水凝胶形成的自组装机制，以及由pH、温度和光触发的刺激响应超分子水凝胶的最新进展。总结了流变学分析、光谱学、散射方法和电子显微镜等先进的表征技术，以了解水凝胶结构、组装途径和最终的网络性质。本综述为读者提供了对超分子水凝胶的最新认识，并突出了在超分子凝胶进展会议上展示的当前研究，促进了新型材料的合理设计和开发，以应对复杂的生物医学和其他技术挑战。
