Photo-crosslinked pluronic hydrogels: micelle self-assembly and thermoresponsive behavior
Michel Habib1,2, Joao Fragoso1, Christine Joly-Duhamel1
1ICGM, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, ENSCM, Montpellier, France. tahmer.sharkawi@umontpellier.fr.
Soft Matter
|June 16, 2026
Summary
The self-assembly temperature of pluronic block copolymers significantly impacts hydrogel properties. Organizing pluronic micelles before crosslinking enhances reaction efficiency and reduces temperature-induced water release in stimuli-responsive hydrogels.
Area of Science:
- Polymer Science
- Materials Science
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Amphiphilic block copolymers like Pluronics are key for stimuli-responsive hydrogels.
- These hydrogels have diverse applications in medicine, energy, and food.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate how self-assembly temperature affects pluronic hydrogel crosslinking and volume changes.
- Evaluate the impact of methacrylation on pluronic micellar organization and its influence on hydrogel properties.
Main Methods:
- Functionalization of Pluronics (P123, P104, F127) with methacrylic moieties.
- Rheological measurements to assess micellar organization and phase diagrams.
- Photorheological experiments to study crosslinking kinetics and temperature-dependent volume changes.
Main Results:
- Methacrylation altered micellar organization in all tested Pluronics.
- Organized micellar states accelerated photocrosslinking reactions.
- Hydrogels crosslinked in organized states showed reduced thermoresponsiveness and less water release (20%) compared to isotropic states (30%).
Conclusions:
- Micellar organization critically influences the physicochemical properties of pluronic-based hydrogels.
- Controlling self-assembly temperature and micellar organization allows tuning of hydrogel performance.
- This provides a strategy for designing advanced stimuli-responsive materials.
