Supramolecular Hydrogels with Tunable Chirality for Promising Biomedical Applications

Area of Science:

• Supramolecular Chemistry
• Materials Science
• Biomaterials Engineering

Background:

• Chirality is fundamental in biological systems, from DNA to proteins.
• Supramolecular chirality in helical assemblies plays vital roles in biochemical reactions.
• The potential biofunctions of supramolecular chirality remain underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent progress in chiral supramolecular hydrogels.
• To highlight methods for constructing and regulating chiral nanostructures in hydrogels.
• To explore the bioapplications of these chiral hydrogels.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing noncovalent interactions (hydrogen bonding, π-π stacking, hydrophobic, van der Waals) to drive chiral assembly.
• Regulating the handedness of chiral assemblies using external stimuli (solvents, temperature, pH, ions, enzymes, light).
• Developing chiral hydrogels with controllable nanoarchitectures.

Main Results:

• Chiral supramolecular hydrogels can be constructed with tunable handedness.
• External stimuli effectively control the chirality of assembled nanostructures.
• Chiral hydrogels exhibit diverse chirality-dependent biological phenomena.

Conclusions:

• Chiral supramolecular hydrogels offer a platform for biomaterial development.
• Understanding supramolecular chirality aids in designing functional biomaterials.
• These materials have significant potential in biology, biochemistry, and medicine.