Dynamic Tannic Acid Hydrogel with Self-Healing and pH Sensitivity for Controlled Release

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Biomedical Engineering
• Polymer Chemistry

Background:

• Dynamic hydrogels possess self-healing and mechanical strength due to dynamic chemical bonds.
• Tannic acid and lysine-containing F127 are utilized as building blocks for novel hydrogel synthesis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To prepare and characterize FLaT hydrogels cross-linked by hydrogen bonds and dynamic Schiff base bonds.
• To investigate the effect of Schiff base concentration on hydrogel properties.
• To evaluate the potential of FLaT hydrogels in drug delivery systems.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of FLaT hydrogels by combining tannic acid with lysine-containing F127 via Schiff base chemistry.
• Characterization of hydrogel properties including mechanical strength, self-healing, injectability, and pH sensitivity.
• Assessment of drug release kinetics and cytotoxicity.

Main Results:

• FLaT hydrogels exhibited reversible sol-gel transition, self-healing, injectability, and pH sensitivity.
• Increased Schiff base content enhanced hydrogel strength, stability, and self-healing capabilities.
• The hydrogels demonstrated linear drug release patterns and pH-controlled release rates with low cytotoxicity.

Conclusions:

• FLaT hydrogels show tunable mechanical and self-healing properties based on Schiff base content.
• These hydrogels are promising for advanced drug delivery systems, particularly for cancer treatment due to their controlled release and low toxicity.