DOUBLE NETWORK GELS BASED ON POLY(2-(DIMETHYLAMINO) ETHYL METHACRYLATE) AND SUPRAMOLECULAR STRUCTURES WITH POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS IN THE BIOMEDICAL FIELD

Headnote

Abstract

Materials that interact with biological systems are rationally designed with controlled structure and dynamic functionality to integrate with biological complexity and perform tailored. Supramolecular gels are an attractive class of soft and responsive materials that present high potential for use in various applications but are severely limited by their low mechanical performance. Developing a double-network (DN) gel based on a crosslinked synthetic polymer network and a peptide supramolecular structure is an effective way to improve the mechanical behavior and biocompatibility of the gel. Therefore, the present study aimed to design a DN gel structure with potential applicability in the biomedical field. The preparation of the DN took place by in situ interpenetration of (i) the co-assembled network between an amino acid and a tripeptide in 1:1 ratio, and (ii) poly(dimethyl-aminoethyl-methacrylate) (PDMAEMA) crosslinked with N, N-methylene bis-acrylamide. The DN gel formation was confirmed by spectroscopic, morphological and rheological analyses to provide an insight into the structure as well as to conclude upon its final properties.

Keywords: supramolecular structures, biomedical, gels.

Acknowledgements

The Romanian National Authority for Scientific Research, CNCS-UEFISCDI, project number 657PED from 21/06/2022, PN-III-P2-2.1-PED-2021-2229 "Hybrid bio-systems enriched with biotechnological extracted oils and applicability in skin tissue engineering", within PNCDI III.