Supramolecular hydrogels with responsive rheological properties based on amphiphilic peptides and cyclodextrin-modified magnetic nanoparticles

水凝胶是主要由水组成但宏观上表现为固体的独特材料。它们含有多孔三维聚合物网络，由于毛细管效应和表面张力，可以捕获大量的水，而不会溶解。此外，水凝胶具有与人体组织非常相似的粘弹性。该项目的中心目标是开发基于磁铁矿纳米颗粒整合的具有刺激响应特性的创新超分子肽水凝胶。在这个项目中，我们将研究“双超分子”水凝胶，其中两亲性肽在水溶液中堆叠形成超分子聚合物，由于与环糊精修饰的磁铁矿纳米颗粒的主客体相互作用，该聚合物另外交联。使用客体修饰的肽，我们将制备响应于施加的磁场和/或紫外线和可见光照射的水凝胶，即它们变得更硬或更软，甚至是流体。将使用流变学和磁流变学实验详细表征水凝胶。此外，使用客体修饰肽的组合，将制备具有形状记忆的磁性水凝胶。最终，该项目将导致全新的动态和响应性水凝胶，可以通过外部刺激进行操纵。

Hydrogels are unique materials that are largely composed of water yet macroscopically behave as solids. They contain porous three-dimensional polymer networks that can entrap an amount of water that greatly surpasses the polymer mass due to capillary effects and surface tension, without dissolving. Moreover, hydrogels have viscoelastic properties very similar to human tissue.The central aim of this project is the development of innovative supramolecular peptide hydrogels that have stimulus-responsive properties based on the integration of magnetite nanoparticles. In this project, we will investigate “double supramolecular” hydrogels, in which amphiphilic peptides stack in aqueous solution to form supramolecular polymers, which in addition cross-link due to host-guest interactions with cyclodextrin-modified magnetite nanoparticles. Using guest-modified peptides, we will prepare hydrogels that respond to an applied magnetic field and/or irradiation with UV and visible light, i.e. they become harder or softer, or even fluid. The hydrogels will be characterized in detail using rheological and magnetorheological experiments. Furthermore, using a combination of guest-modified peptides, magnetic hydrogels with a shape memory will be prepared. Ultimately, this project will lead to entirely new dynamic and responsive hydrogels that can be manipulated by external stimuli.