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Updated: May 19, 2026
10:01
Directed Assembly of Elastin-like Proteins into defined Supramolecular Structures and Cargo Encapsulation In Vitro
Published on: April 8, 2020
Dynamic covalent assembly of stimuli responsive vesicle gels
Christophe B Minkenberg1, Wouter E Hendriksen, Feng Li
1Department of Chemical Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Julianalaan 136, 2628 BL, Delft, The Netherlands.
Chemical Communications (Cambridge, England)
|September 1, 2012
Summary
Researchers created responsive vesicle gels using dynamic covalent surfactants. These gels form reversibly in water from simple precursor mixing under ambient conditions, offering new material possibilities.
Area of Science:
- Polymer Chemistry
- Materials Science
- Supramolecular Chemistry
Background:
- Dynamic covalent chemistry offers pathways to stimuli-responsive materials.
- Vesicle gels represent a promising class of soft materials with tunable properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report the facile and reversible formation of stimuli-responsive vesicle gels.
- To utilize polymerised dynamic covalent surfactants for gel formation.
Main Methods:
- Mixing soluble surfactant precursors in water.
- Employing dynamic covalent chemistry for polymerisation.
- Characterizing the resulting vesicle gel structures.
Main Results:
- Successful formation of vesicle gels under ambient conditions.
- Demonstration of stimuli-responsive and reversible gel behaviour.
- Utilisation of polymerised dynamic covalent surfactants as building blocks.
Conclusions:
- Stimuli-responsive vesicle gels can be readily formed from dynamic covalent surfactants.
- The method allows for simple, ambient condition synthesis of advanced soft materials.
- This approach opens avenues for designing adaptable and recyclable polymer networks.
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