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Cation‐Tuned Stimuli‐Responsive and Optical Properties of Supramolecular Hydrogels
Author(s) -
Yamanaka Masamichi,
Yanai Kazushige,
Zama Yusuke,
Tsuchiyagaito Junko,
Yoshida Masaru,
Ishii Ayumi,
Hasegawa Miki
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
chemistry – an asian journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.18
H-Index - 106
eISSN - 1861-471X
pISSN - 1861-4728
DOI - 10.1002/asia.201500274
Subject(s) - self healing hydrogels , terbium , supramolecular chemistry , amphiphile , cationic polymerization , urea , aqueous solution , tris , chemistry , supramolecular assembly , materials science , polymer chemistry , chemical engineering , ion , organic chemistry , polymer , molecule , copolymer , biochemistry , engineering
Hierarchical self‐assembly of an amphiphilic tris‐urea in aqueous media is shown. A mixture of the amphiphilic tris‐urea and an alkaline solution gave a viscous solution composed of fibrous aggregates. This viscous solution transformed into supramolecular hydrogels, which are capable of hierarchically organizing into higher‐order aggregates in response to several cationic triggers. The resulting supramolecular hydrogels were relatively stiff and their storage moduli attained over 10 3 Pa. The stimuli‐responsive and optical properties of the resulting hydrogels were influenced by the cationic trigger. Proton and calcium ion triggers gave pH‐ and chemical stimuli‐responsive hydrogels, respectively. A terbium ion trigger also provided a highly luminescent hydrogel through energy transfer from the tris‐urea to terbium.