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A Natural Glycyrrhizic Acid-Tailored Light-Responsive Gelator
Heshu Fang1,2, Xia Zhao2, Yuan Lin2
1State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green Pesticide & Agricultural Bioengineering, Centre for R&D of Fine Chemicals, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, China.
Abstract:
The construction of stimuli-responsive materials by using naturally occurring molecules as building blocks has received increasing attention owing to their bioavailability, biocompatibility, and biodegradability. Herein, a symmetrical azobenzene-functionalized natural glycyrrhizic acid (trans-GAG) was synthesized and could form stable supramolecular gels in DMSO/H2 O and MeOH/H2 O. Owing to trans-cis isomerization, this gel exhibited typical light-responsive behavior that led to a reversible gel-sol transition accompanied by a variation in morphology and rheology. Additionally, this trans-GAG gel displayed a distinct injectable self-healing property and outstanding biocompatibility. This work provides a simple yet rational strategy to fabricate stimuli-responsive materials from naturally occurring, eco-friendly molecules.
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