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Mechanical Reinforcement of Molecular Hydrogel by Co‐assembly of Short Peptide‐based Gelators with Different Aromatic Capping Groups
Author(s) -
Li Dongxia,
Shi Yang,
Wang Ling
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
chinese journal of chemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.28
H-Index - 41
eISSN - 1614-7065
pISSN - 1001-604X
DOI - 10.1002/cjoc.201300814
Subject(s) - chemistry , self healing hydrogels , nap , peptide , chemical engineering , component (thermodynamics) , mixing (physics) , polymer chemistry , biochemistry , thermodynamics , neuroscience , engineering , biology , physics , quantum mechanics
We demonstrated in this study that mixing two short peptide‐based gelators with different aromatic capping groups would result in molecular hydrogels with enhanced mechanical property. We selected gelators of PTZ‐GFFY and Nap‐GFFY for the study. Both PTZ‐GFFY and Nap‐GFFY could independently form molecular hydrogel by a heating‐cooling process. However, the mechanical property of gels of PTZ‐GFFY and Nap‐GFFY was relatively weak with storage moduli ( G′ ) of about 500 and 150 Pa, respectively. A two‐component gel of PTZ‐GFFY and Nap‐GFFY could also form by a heating‐cooling process. Surprisingly, the G′ value of the two‐component gel was about 5000 Pa , which was at least ten times bigger than that of each single‐component gel. This is a novel and simple strategy to improve the mechanical property of molecular hydrogels.