Nanofibrous chiral supramolecular assembly-derived self-healing hydrogels with polyethylene glycol.

Unique polymer hydrogels with unusual cross-linking networks and self-healing properties have been recently reported. In this study, we fabricated hybrid hydrogels consisting of a chiral supramolecular one-dimensional assembly of glutamide-derived lipids bearing pyridinium head groups ( G -Py + ) cross-linked with termini-anionised hydrophilic polyethylene glycol polymers (S-PEG n -S). The cationic group-linked G -Py + forms nanotubular aggregates in water. G -Py + /S-PEG n -S aqueous mixtures formed hydrogels at certain concentrations and ambient temperatures. The terminal anionic sulfate groups play a key role in hydrogel formation, as evidenced by the absence of gelation in G -Py + /PEG n . The negative circular dichroism signal observed for pyridinium exhibited a blue shift upon the addition of S-PEG n -S but maintained its signal intensity even with excess S-PEG n -S, suggesting the chiral orientation of the nanofibrous G -Py + self-assembly preserved even complexation with S-PEG n -S in hydrogel. The hybrid hydrogel of sulfated polyethylene glycol with nanofibrous chiral supramolecular assembly exhibited self-healing property at a temperature below the gel-to-liquid crystalline phase transition ( T C ) of G -Py + aggregates, which was evidenced by the inversion fluid method and viscoelastic measurements.