pH‐Responsive and Recyclable Hydrogels for Gas Releasing and Scavenging

Abstract

Gas-releasing/scavenging hydrogels have wide applications in biomedical and industrial fields. However, the covalently crosslinked nature of these existing materials makes them difficult to degrade or recycle, leading to a waste of raw materials and aggravating environmental pollution. Herein, a new class of pH-responsive and recyclable hydrogels with versatile gas-releasing and scavenging properties is reported, utilizing pH changes to reversibly control disassembly and reassembly of the hydrogel network. The initial hydrogels are constructed via the one-pot radical polymerization and contain dynamic molecular networks based on hydrophobic interactions, which can disassemble when the materials are placed in low pH solutions. The disassembled copolymer chains can reform hydrogels, following supplementation with fresh mineral salts and micelle monomers in neutral solutions. Moreover, the mineral salts used to reform hydrogels can function as gas donors or scavengers, endowing these hydrogels with versatile gas-releasing and consuming properties. Overall, this research provides a facile and environmentally friendly method to recycle hydrogels with gas-releasing and gas-scavenging properties, which have potential applications in diverse fields, including wound healing, wastewater management, and gas therapy for diseases.

Dynamic and Wearable Electro-responsive Hydrogel with Robust Mechanical Properties for Drug Release

“…Due to their unique structure containing SDS micelles, this class of hydrogels is able to store and deliver hydrophobic cargos, especially drug molecules, on demand. Overall, considering the electro-responsive properties, ion-conductive features, dynamic nature, and hydrophobic cargo delivery abilities of these hydrogels, we envision their promising applications in multiple fields, including wearable bioelectronics for on-demand controlled drug release …”

“…Overall, considering the electroresponsive properties, ion-conductive features, dynamic nature, and hydrophobic cargo delivery abilities of these hydrogels, we envision their promising applications in multiple fields, including wearable bioelectronics for on-demand controlled drug release. 48 ■ ASSOCIATED CONTENT * sı Supporting Information…”

pH-sensitive composite nanofibers of poly(ε-caprolactone) loaded with iron oxide nanoparticles/ammonium bicarbonate as a nanocarrier toward efficient doxorubicin release for postsurgical cancer treatment

“…A previous study mentioned that in an acidic medium, ABC interacts with the acidic solution and quickly releases carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), which speeds up the release of drugs from the inner area of the fibers. 30 Simultaneously, ammonia is produced together with CO 2 , which might counteract the tumor's acidic environment. As a result, PIAD electrospun nanofibers are considered a promising candidate for controlled drug delivery in anticancer applications.…”