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Ruthenium‐Crosslinked Hydrogels with Rapid, Visible‐Light Degradation
Author(s) -
Rapp Teresa L.,
Highley Christopher B.,
Manor Brian C.,
Burdick Jason A.,
Dmochowski Ivan J.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
chemistry – a european journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.687
H-Index - 242
eISSN - 1521-3765
pISSN - 0947-6539
DOI - 10.1002/chem.201704580
Subject(s) - self healing hydrogels , ruthenium , visible spectrum , degradation (telecommunications) , ultraviolet light , materials science , microfluidics , irradiation , photochemistry , chemistry , hyaluronic acid , chemical engineering , nanotechnology , polymer chemistry , catalysis , organic chemistry , optoelectronics , telecommunications , computer science , engineering , physics , biology , nuclear physics , genetics
Incorporation of photoresponsive molecules within soft materials can provide spatiotemporal control over bulk properties and address challenges in targeted delivery and mechanical variability. However, the kinetics of in situ photochemical reactions are often slow and typically employ ultraviolet wavelengths. Here, we present a novel photoactive crosslinker Ru(bipyridine) 2 (3‐pyridinaldehyde) 2 (RuAldehyde), which was reacted with hydrazide‐functionalized hyaluronic acid to form hydrogels capable of encapsulating protein cargo. Visible light irradiation (400–500 nm) initiated rapid ligand exchange on the ruthenium center, which degraded the hydrogel within seconds to minutes, depending on gel thickness. An exemplar enzyme cargo, TEM1 β‐lactamase, was loaded into and photoreleased from the Ru‐hydrogel. To expand their applications, Ru‐hydrogels were also processed into microgels using a microfluidic platform.