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Updated: Jun 18, 2026

Fabricating Degradable Thermoresponsive Hydrogels on Multiple Length Scales via Reactive Extrusion, Microfluidics, Self-assembly, and Electrospinning

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Published on: April 16, 2018

Using a Supramolecular Monomer Formulation Approach to Engineer Modular, Dynamic Microgels, and Composite Macrogels.

Maritza M Rovers^1,2, Theodora Rogkoti³, Bram K Bakker^1,2

¹Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, Eindhoven, 5600 MB, The Netherlands.

Advanced Materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)

|October 28, 2024

Summary

Researchers created dynamic microgels using supramolecular chemistry. These microgels serve as building blocks for advanced hydrogel materials with tunable properties and potential for cell-specific applications.

Keywords:

cell culture droplet‐based microfluidics hydrogel microgel multiscale modularity supramolecular biomaterial synthetic extracellular matrix

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Microfluidic Synthesis of Microgel Building Blocks for Microporous Annealed Particle Scaffold

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Published on: June 16, 2022

Area of Science:

Materials Science
Polymer Chemistry
Supramolecular Chemistry

Background:

Microgels offer advantages over bulk hydrogels due to controlled size and composition.
Microgels enable modular construction of hierarchical scaffold materials.

Purpose of the Study:

To formulate dynamic microgels using supramolecular chemistry for tunable properties.
To utilize microgels as building blocks for hierarchical hydrogel structures.

Main Methods:

Supramolecular chemistry utilizing four-fold hydrogen bonding ureido-pyrimidinone (UPy) monomers.
Tuning microgel properties via monomer concentration, crosslinker ratio, and incorporation of dyes/peptides.
Functionalization with cell-adhesive peptides to induce cell selectivity.

Main Results:

Successfully formulated dynamic microgels held by non-covalent interactions.
Demonstrated precise tuning of microgel properties through modular variations.
Achieved cell selectivity towards bioactive microgels.
Applied microgels as building blocks for robust and weak macrogels with tunable dynamic behavior.

Conclusions:

Supramolecular microgels provide a versatile platform for modularly engineering higher-length-scale hydrogel structures.
Microgels act as adaptable micro-building units for creating complex materials.
This approach enables the design of advanced materials with tailored mechanical and biological properties.