Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Julius Gemen, Michal J. Bialek, Miri Kazes, Linda J. W. Shimon, Moran Feller, Sergey N. Semenov, Yael Diskin-Posner, Dan Oron, Rafal Klajn
Summary: Combining confinement effects with fast guest exchange kinetics allows for the development of stimuli-responsive supramolecular systems that can rapidly and reversibly tailor material properties.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yao Xiong, Olga Kuksenok
Summary: This study focuses on the dynamic control of pattern formation and restructuring in hydrogels with host-guest interactions. It is found that UV irradiation induces matrix deswelling in the hydrogels, while the addition of alpha-cyclodextrin solution leads to hydrogel swelling and pattern formation. Moreover, spatiotemporal variations in UV irradiation effectively control the patterns formed and hysteresis loops.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Shujuan Yang, Wenqi Qin, Xinyu Zhao, Furui He, Haifang Liu, Qichang Zhou, Junhao Huang, Gaobo Yu, Yuhong Feng, Jiacheng Li
Summary: The soft interfacial template-assisted confined self-assembly of block copolymers guiding colloidal aggregates has been extensively studied. In this study, a supramolecular host-guest interfacial recognition-engineered strategy was used to in-situ construct a system with photo-stimulated responsive structural reconfigurability. The supramolecular host-guest droplet interfaces acted as soft templates managing interfacial instability and constructing various soft supra-colloidal aggregates.
JOURNAL OF COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Pengfei Ren, Liuxin Yang, Dandan Wei, Min Liang, Li Xu, Tianzhu Zhang, Wanjun Hu, Zhigang Zhang, Qianli Zhang
Summary: In this study, a supramolecular hydrogel system with improved adhesion was constructed through host-guest interactions between alginate and polyacrylamide. The hydrogel exhibited high tensile adhesion strength and demonstrated excellent self-healing, shear-thinning, and injectable properties. It can serve as a viscosity extender or bioadhesive, and as a carrier material for minimally invasive injection.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yiyun Gao, Yan Gao, Yuanfu Ding, Huaping Tan, Aihua Zou, Shengke Li
Summary: Natural polysaccharides and their derivatives have great potential in drug delivery, with reversible crosslinking by Cucurbit[n]uril showing stimulus responsiveness for constructing stimuli-responsive drug release systems. The host-guest interactions of CB[6] and CB[8] in polysaccharide-based supramolecular drug delivery systems allow for easy tuning of rheological properties and drug release profiles.
CHINESE CHEMICAL LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Xueyu Jiang, Fanwei Zeng, Xuefeng Yang, Chao Jian, Lina Zhang, Aixi Yu, Ang Lu
Summary: In this study, a smart nano drug delivery system targeting MMPs was successfully constructed using collagen peptides scaffolds with MMPs recognition sequences. The system effectively inhibited the activity of MMPs and achieved targeted drug release in tumor tissues.
ACTA BIOMATERIALIA
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Wei Ma, Xu Yang, Hong-Bin Liu, Zan-Ru Guo, Jia-Li Zhang, Gui-Ying Kang, Cui-Yun Yu, Hua Wei
Summary: Stimuli-responsive polymeric hydrogels based on host-guest interactions have been developed using a combination strategy of reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer polymerization (RAFT) and dual crosslinking. The resulting hydrogels show enhanced mechanical properties, pH-switchable sol-gel transitions, and temperature-dependent swelling behaviors. The hydrogels also exhibit good stretchability and self-healing property, making them promising candidates for potential transdermal drug delivery.
REACTIVE & FUNCTIONAL POLYMERS
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Myat Noe May, Akihide Sugawara, Taka-Aki Asoh, Yoshinori Takashima, Akira Harada, Hiroshi Uyama
Summary: This study develops and investigates a functional nanocomposite hydrogel using cellulose nanocrystals as a biobased filler, and designs the hydrogel by introducing supramolecular bonding between beta-cyclodextrin and adamantane groups at the interface between cellulose nanocrystals and the polymer matrix. The modified cellulose nanocrystals exhibit good dispersibility in aqueous media, even after modification with the hydrophobic adamantane group, due to electrostatic repulsion among negative charges on the nanocrystal surface. The modification also improves the interfacial compatibility between the filler and the matrix, enhancing the toughness of the hydrogel.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Dilanka V. D. Walpita Kankanamalage, Jennifer H. T. Tran, Noah Beltrami, Kun Meng, Xiao Zhou, Pravin Pathak, Lyle Isaacs, Alexander L. Burin, Mehnaaz F. Ali, Janarthanan Jayawickramarajah
Summary: This study introduces a synthetic surrogate called host-guest-driven toehold-mediated strand displacement (HG-TMSD) that utilizes bioorthogonal interactions to control the process of DNA strand displacement. The HG-TMSD method can be finely modulated by changing the structure of the input sequence and can also be regulated by competing small-molecule guests. It can be integrated into functional devices for controlling enzyme activity and detecting specific microRNA.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2022)
Review
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Masoumeh Mohamadhoseini, Zahra Mohamadnia
Summary: The article mainly discusses the different strategies of fabricating HG supramolecular self-healable materials using host-guest interactions between beta-CD and various guest molecules. Comparing different strategies helps to properly address the challenges of this field in the future.
COORDINATION CHEMISTRY REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Seung Yong Lee, Seong Ik Jeon, Sung Bo Sim, Youngro Byun, Cheol-Hee Ahn
Summary: The F127-Ad/CDP hydrogel, developed through host-guest interactions, serves as a versatile protein delivery system with controllable durability and drug release characteristics. By adjusting the number of adamantane molecules in the system, the stability and injectability of the hydrogel can be modulated.
ACTA BIOMATERIALIA
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Hector Fernandez-Caro, Alejandro Mendez-Ardoy, Javier Montenegro
Summary: The intracellular reconfiguration of nanoparticles by a host/guest mechanism with biocompatible oligomeric competitors has been achieved, allowing for the direct exchange of pendants at the surface of nanoparticles and the intracellular dynamic chemical reconfiguration of biocompatible colloidal systems.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Qinfu Lu, Yueying Han, Ying Ma, Shanshan Lv
Summary: This study discovered a new design for silk fibroin-based hydrogels based on host-guest interactions, and showed that the properties of the hydrogels could be adjusted by varying the solvation methods for silk fibroin regeneration and the conjugation methods for beta-cyclodextrins.
COLLOIDS AND SURFACES A-PHYSICOCHEMICAL AND ENGINEERING ASPECTS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ivan E. Ushakov, Natalia D. Lenenko, Alexander S. Goloveshkin, Alexander A. Korlyukov, Alexandre S. Golub
Summary: The study examined the bonding interactions between the antileukemic drug imatinib and nanodispersed molybdenum disulfide, and identified noncovalent hydrogen bonding and pi-S bonding interactions between the S atoms and imatinib groups. These interactions were found to be outweighed by the strong intramolecular bonding within the imatinib molecule, limiting its ability to bind more closely to MoS2. The data could be useful for designing biologically active systems containing MoS2 sheets.
Review
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Wenjie Li, Weiwei Xu, Siyun Zhang, Jia Li, Juan Zhou, Demei Tian, Jing Cheng, Haibing Li
Summary: Significant progress has been made in the research on drug encapsulation and release based on supramolecular macrocycles, laying a solid foundation for the development of novel nanopesticide preparations.
JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Dipa Ghindani, Ibrahim Issah, Semyon Chervinskii, Markus Lahikainen, Kim Kuntze, Arri Priimagi, Humeyra Caglayan
Summary: This research demonstrates the active tuning of photoluminescence by changing the ambient humidity, providing opportunities for developing tunable photonic devices.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jesus Guillen Campos, Friedrich Stricker, Kyle D. Clark, Minwook Park, Sophia J. Bailey, Alexa S. Kuenstler, Ryan C. Hayward, Javier Read de Alaniz
Summary: In this work, a new protection-deprotection approach using a two-stage Diels-Alder cyclopentadiene-maleimide step-growth polymerization was introduced, enabling mild yet efficient, fast, controlled, reproducible and user-friendly polymerizations, broadening the scope of liquid crystal systems.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Zixuan Deng, Hang Zhang, Arri Priimagi, Hao Zeng
Summary: This study reports an optically powered soft material strip that can perform nonreciprocal, cilia-like, self-sustained oscillation under water. The actuator is made of planar-aligned liquid crystal elastomer responding to visible light. Two laser beams from orthogonal directions allow for piecewise control over the strip deformation, enabling two self-shadowing effects coupled in one single material to yield nonreciprocal strokes. The results demonstrate autonomous microfluidic pumping, translocation of a micro-object, and coupling between two oscillating strips through liquid medium interaction, offering new concepts for non-equilibrium soft actuators that can perform bio-like functions under water.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Hang Zhang, Hao Zeng, Amanda Eklund, Hongshuang Guo, Arri Priimagi, Olli Ikkala
Summary: Driving systems out of equilibrium under feedback control is characteristic for living systems. In this study, feedback-controlled systems comprising two coupled hydrogels driven by constant light were explored. The system can undergo stable homeostatic self-oscillations or damped steady states of temperature, enabling dynamic functionalities such as dynamic colors and cargo transport. The mechanical triggers cause temperature changes that lead to responses similar to those observed in sensitive plants.
NATURE NANOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Hongshuang Guo, Rakesh Puttreddy, Turkka Salminen, Alons Lends, Kristaps Jaudzems, Hao Zeng, Arri Priimagi
Summary: The authors report a liquid crystalline network that contains dynamic halogen-bond crosslinks and possesses reversible thermo-responsive shape memory behavior. Shape programming can be achieved through human-hand operation, and a micro-robotic injection model is proposed to achieve complex shape morphing in aqueous media.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Qing Liu, Yu Zhou, Ahmed Shaukat, Zhuojun Meng, Daniella Kyllonen, Iris Seitz, Daniel Langerreiter, Kim Kuntze, Arri Priimagi, Lifei Zheng, Mauri A. Kostiainen
Summary: In this article, a light-controlled protein crystal is introduced, which is obtained by complexing the model proteins with cationic azobenzene dyes. The crystalline state can be switched to a dispersed phase under ultraviolet light and restored by visible-light illumination, and this switching can be repeated without structure deterioration. This approach significantly increases the crystallinity and enables the formation of protein single crystals. It offers a method for fabricating optically controlled crystallization and studying metamaterials.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Klaudia Dradrach, Michal Zmyslony, Zixuan Deng, Arri Priimagi, John Biggins, Piotr Wasylczyk
Summary: Researchers demonstrate the use of light-driven pumping for small-scale manipulation of microlitre volumes of liquid using a liquid crystal elastomer strip. Optofluidics, which utilizes light for power and control, offers the potential for small, self-contained microfluidic devices that are more efficient and simpler to operate.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Matias Paatelainen, Markus Lahikainen, Alex Berdin, Kim Kuntze, Werner M. Nau, Nonappa, Arri Priimagi
Summary: Supramolecular host-guest complexes are dynamic systems consisting of macrocyclic host molecules encapsulating smaller guest molecules, and can be used to tackle fluorescence quenching and photobleaching. This study demonstrates the application of supramolecular host-guest complexation in a hydrogel network to create tunable hydrogel-based lasers. By doping hydrogel with cucurbit[7]uril as a host molecule, the fluorescent quantum yield and photostability of Rhodamine B molecules in the hydrogel are significantly improved. A thin-film distributed feedback hydrogel laser with wavelength tunability is fabricated to showcase the concept. These findings, combined with the stimuli-response of hydrogels, open up possibilities for affordable and small-scale photonic devices for sensing applications.
ADVANCED OPTICAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Natalie P. Pinchin, Hongshuang Guo, Henning Meteling, Zixuan Deng, Arri Priimagi, Hamed Shahsavan
Summary: Soft robots, composed of compliant materials like liquid crystal networks (LCNs), offer high adaptability and safer interaction with humans. However, the relationship between LCNs and water poses limitations in aquatic environments. This review examines this relationship, surveys existing literature on LCNs as aquatic soft robots, and discusses potential paths forward.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Kim Kuntze, Daisy R. S. Pooler, Mariangela Di Donato, Michiel F. Hilbers, Pieter van der Meulen, Wybren Jan Buma, Arri Priimagi, Ben L. Feringa, Stefano Crespi
Summary: We introduce a new class of visible-light-driven molecular motors based on barbituric acid, which possess a tertiary stereogenic center with a hydroxy group due to an unexpected reactivity during synthesis. Experimental and computational studies reveal that these motors operate similarly to existing overcrowded alkene-based molecular motors, with a sub-picosecond excited-state isomerization facilitated by a hydrogen bond between the hydroxy group and the carbonyl groups. Computational simulations predict a high quantum yield of isomerization (68%) through an excited state lasso mechanism.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Kim Kuntze, Jani Viljakka, Matti Virkki, Chung-Yang (Dennis) Huang, Stefan Hecht, Arri Priimagi
Summary: By simple synthetic derivatisation, indigo dye can be converted into a red-light E-Z photoswitch, which exhibits negative photochromism and tuneable thermal isomerisation kinetics. This makes indigo derivatives highly attractive for materials and living systems applications. However, the translation of indigo photoswitching dynamics from solution to solid state, which is crucial for most applications, is not well understood. In this study, the photoswitching performance of six structurally distinct indigo derivatives in five polymers of varying rigidity is investigated. Three key strategies are identified to enable efficient photoswitching under red light: choosing a soft polymer matrix, creating free volume around the indigo molecules, and applying low dye loading to inhibit aggregation. Implementation of these strategies leads to isomerisation performance nearly identical to that in solution, paving the way for designing new red-light photochromic materials based on indigos.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Heidi Peussa, Chiara Fedele, Huy Tran, Mikael Marttinen, Julia Fadjukov, Elina Maentylae, Arri Priimaegi, Soile Nymark, Teemu O. Ihalainen
Summary: Epithelial cells interact with their extracellular environment through continuous biochemical and physical interactions, which guide physiological processes. This study demonstrates that light-responsive materials can modify the physical niche of cells and trigger rapid intracellular calcium transients. Moreover, the research reveals that the mechanosensitive cation channel Piezo1 plays a major role in generating these transients after nanoscale mechanical deformation. The findings also show that Piezo1 preferentially responds to shear deformation at the cell-material interphase rather than absolute topographical changes of the substrate.
Article
Physics, Fluids & Plasmas
Michelle Berry, Yongjae Kim, David Limberg, Ryan C. Hayward, Christian D. Santangelo
Summary: Mechanical computing has gained renewed attention due to its potential use in programmable metamaterials for embedding sensing and computation. This study investigates the propagation of signals uphill in energy in a bistable mechanical cascade and identifies parameters for this phenomenon to occur. Experimental results on soft elastomers confirm the findings.