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Updated: Apr 7, 2026
Author Spotlight: Improving the Production of Self-Assembling Fibers and Peptide Hydrogels for Superior Biocompatibility
Published on: September 6, 2024
Preparation and Supramolecular Recognition of Multivalent Peptide-Polysaccharide Conjugates by Cucurbit[8]uril in
Matthew J Rowland1, Marina Atgie1, Dominique Hoogland1
1Melville Laboratory for Polymer Synthesis, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom.
Abstract:
Supramolecular hydrogels were fabricated by physically cross-linking phenylalanine functionalized polysaccharides with cucurbit[8]uril in water. We report a facile 2-step method of functionalization of the polysaccharides hyaluronic acid (HA), carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC), and guar with the dipeptide Phe-Cys. Addition of cucurbit[8]uril to the functional polysaccharides initiated physical cross-linking on account of strong 1:2 "homoternary" complexes with the pendant Phe residues. In particular, HA and CMC based soft hydrogels displayed impressive viscoelastic behavior which was characterized using rheology, demonstrating accessibility to an array of material properties which would find broad applicability in many fields.
