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Related Concept Videos

Intermolecular Forces in Solutions02:28

Intermolecular Forces in Solutions

The formation of a solution is an example of a spontaneous process, a process that occurs under specified conditions without energy from some external source.
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The formation of a solution is an example of a spontaneous process, which is a process that occurs under specified conditions without energy from some external source.
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Cationic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Mechanism00:57

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The cationic polymerization mechanism consists of three steps: initiation, propagation, and termination. In the initiation step of the polymerization process, the π bond of a monomer gets protonated by the Lewis acid catalyst, which is formed from boron trifluoride and water. The protonation of the π bond generates a carbocation stabilized by the electron‐donating group. In the propagation step, the π bond of the second monomer acts as a nucleophile and attacks the generated carbocation,...
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Fabricating Degradable Thermoresponsive Hydrogels on Multiple Length Scales via Reactive Extrusion, Microfluidics, Self-assembly, and Electrospinning
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Does Supramolecular Gelation Require an External Trigger?

Ruben Van Lommel1,2, Julie Van Hooste1, Johannes Vandaele3

  • 1Molecular Design and Synthesis, Department of Chemistry, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200F, Box 2404, 3001 Leuven, Belgium.

Gels (Basel, Switzerland)
|December 22, 2022
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

This study introduces a novel urea-based molecule that forms stable hydrogels simply by mixing, eliminating the need for external triggers. This discovery simplifies supramolecular gelation and reveals a stepwise self-assembly mechanism.

Keywords:
LMWGexternal stimuligelsself-assemblysingle particle tracking

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Area of Science:

  • Supramolecular chemistry
  • Materials science
  • Soft matter physics

Background:

  • Supramolecular gels typically require external stimuli (e.g., heat) to initiate self-assembly due to their metastable nature.
  • This reliance on triggers can restrict the practical applications of supramolecular gels.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a small molecule that forms a stable hydrogel spontaneously upon mixing, without external triggers.
  • To investigate the self-assembly mechanism of this triggerless hydrogelation and compare it to traditional triggered gelation.

Main Methods:

  • Synthesis of a novel urea-based small molecule.
  • Triggerless gelation experiments via simple mixing.
  • Single particle tracking (SPT) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for observing gelation dynamics.
  • Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and quantitative nuclear magnetic resonance (qNMR) experiments to elucidate the gelation mechanism.

Main Results:

  • A urea-based molecule was synthesized that spontaneously forms a stable hydrogel upon simple mixing.
  • Triggerless gelation was observed to proceed similarly to heat-triggered gelation, involving nanoparticle maturation into fibrillary networks.
  • The mechanism of heat-triggered supramolecular gelation was elucidated, revealing a stepwise self-assembly process.

Conclusions:

  • The development of a small molecule capable of spontaneous hydrogelation by simple mixing overcomes limitations associated with external triggers.
  • The findings suggest a potential pathway for designing new supramolecular hydrogels with simplified preparation methods.
  • Understanding the stepwise self-assembly mechanism provides fundamental insights into supramolecular gel formation.