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Updated: Jan 14, 2026

Controlling the Size, Shape and Stability of Supramolecular Polymers in Water
Published on: August 2, 2012
Simultaneous modulation of chirality and mechanical properties in supramolecular hydrogels by varying alkyl spacer
Yanyan Zhang1, Yingying Chen2, Jiahao Li1
1Key Laboratory for Special Functional Materials of Ministry of Education, School of Nanoscience and Materials Engineering, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China. liujy1012@henu.edu.cn.
Abstract:
Mimicking the extracellular matrix's (ECM's) integration of chiral and mechanical cues remains challenging in synthetic hydrogels. Here, we demonstrate that alkyl spacer engineering in C2-symmetric benzene-para-dicarboxamide phenylalanine derivatives enables simultaneous control of supramolecular handedness and mechanics: helical handedness follows spacer odd-even effects, while spacer elongation (n = 2→4) drives a 17-fold elastic modulus enhancement (0.45→7.64 kPa). This dual regulation provides a versatile strategy for designing biomimetic hydrogels.
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