Self-healing,
injectable, and responsive hydrogels are of increasing
interest, particularly for biomedical applications. In this work,
an original thiazolidine-based polyacrylamide hydrogel was synthesized
via the condensation of two polyacrylamides carrying aldehyde and
1,2-aminothiol side groups, respectively. The hydrolytic stability
and the viscoelastic properties of the hydrogel were investigated
under acidic and physiological pHs. Rheological studies showed that
the thiazolidine-based hydrogels exhibit dynamic properties resulting
from the reversible formation of the thiazolidine linkages. Attractive
self-healing ability and shear-thinning behavior were observed, rendering
these hydrogels injectable through a needle. In addition, the hydrogels
display a highly pH-dependent stability, making them potential candidates
for drug encapsulation and controlled delivery.