Nanofibrillar polymer hydrogels

Chau M, Sriskandha SE, Therien-Aubin H, Kumacheva E (2015) Supramolecular nanofibrillar polymer hydrogels. In Seiffert S (ed) Supramolecular polymer netwraks. Advances in Polymer Science. Springer, Cham... 

In summary, in recent years, intense research has focused on the synthesis and assembly of nanofibrillar supramolecular polymer hydrogels. The nanofibrillar structure of these gels offers many potential benefits to their application however, future development of this field will largely depend on the results of fundamental studies and applications of nanofibrillar hydrogels. 

Examples of Nanofibrillar Hydrogels Formed by Biopolymers and Synthetic Polymers 172... 

Fig. 1 Hierarchical assembly of nanofibrillar hydrogels. Individual molecules organize into nanofibrils, which subsequently associate and/or entangle to form a 3D water-swollen network. Biopolymer molecules are often oriented parallel to the long axis of the nanofibril, whereas synthetic polymer chains are oriented perpendicularly to the main axis. Gelation can be triggered by changes in temperature and pH, an increase in polymer concentration, or an increase in ionic strength of the polymer solution, to name a few...

This article provides an overview of the recent progress in fundamental studies, preparation, characterization, and application of nanofibrillar hydrogels formed by physical (noncovalent) cross-linking of one-dimensional (ID) supramolecular building blocks of synthetic and biological polymers. High-aspect-ratio nanofibrils, as focused on in the present review, are formed by autonomous association (self-assembly) of individual molecules and not by their forced fabrication (directed... 

The assembly of nanofibrillar hydrogels involves the formation of fibers by association of individual polymer chains into nanofibrils, which are physically... 

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