East China Normal University professor Zhang Lidong research group: chemical one step method to build complex multiple gel microtubules

The author: Professor Zhang Lidong recently, East China Normal University professor of chemistry and Molecular Engineering Institute of Professor Zhang Lidong has made important progress in the construction of complex multi gel microtubules by one-step method The related results were published in Chemical Communications (DOI:) on the topic of "Hollow hydrogel networks for temperature-controlled waterfluidics" 10.1039/c8cc05396k), the first author is Chen Qing, a first year doctoral student Hydrogel microtubules have very high utilization value in biological and chemical engineering By modifying the inner wall of the tube, effective cell adhesion, catalytic separation and controllable hydrodynamics can be achieved However, how to convert ordinary hydrogel films into hollow gel microtubules has always been a bottleneck For preparing hydrogel hollow tubes, the template method, extrusion method or direct "film-to-tube" crimping method have been reported These methods can construct hollow tube with 1D structure, but it is difficult to realize the construction of 3D MULTI BRANCHED hydrogel microtubules To this end, Professor Zhang Lidong has developed an economical and convenient solution method to construct complex multiple hydrogel microtubules First, the film of six membered ring network structure was prepared through thin film cutting or direct solution printing Then the monolayer hydrogel film was immersed in the Tris-HCl buffer solution of CuSO 4 and H 2 O 2 for 10-30 min, the film rapidly swelled and absorbed a large amount of gas in the film swelling system The gas spillover causes the swollen thin film to be transformed into a hollow tube with a porous wall, thus forming a corresponding hollow hydrogel microtubule (Fig 1) Figure 1 Preparation of multiple network hydrogel microtubules (source: Chem Commun.) The hollow hydrogel microtubules prepared by this method can completely maintain the original geometry of the films Therefore, researchers can design arbitrary shaped hydrogel hollow tubes by designing arbitrary shaped films This method does not need template and die, and overcomes the limitations of the previous methods Fig two, the method can be used to prepare hydrogel hollow tubes of arbitrary shape (a) Multiple hollow tubes, (b) honeycomb hollow tubes, (c) fan-shaped hollow tubes, (d) double star hollow tubes (source: chem Commun.) then, the method can also conveniently prepare various hollow tubes with 3D structure, such as hollow methane molecular structure, anthracene molecular structure, etc The conversion of the membrane to the tube not only keeps the original geometry of the membrane, but also forms a hollow structure which is connected to each other without resistance Fig 3 Hollow tubes of various 3D structures prepared (a) hollow hydrogel basket, (b) hollow hydrogel triangular cone, (c) hollow methane molecular structure, (d) hollow ethane molecular structure, (E) phenanthrene structure, (f) propane molecular structure, (g) fullerene molecular structure, (H) adamantane molecular structure, (I) toluene molecular structure, (J) anthracene molecular structure (source: Chem Commun.) further, the two water gel membranes separated by water were bonded together, and after being treated by Tris-HCl buffer solution of CuSO 4 and H 2 O 2, the interconnected hollow water hose can be formed This special property facilitates the preparation of complex hollow hydrogel devices or devices Fig four The preparation of interconnected hollow water gel tubes (source: Chem Commun.) in the conversion process of membrane to tube, the authors put the temperature sensitive material poly (N isopropyl acrylamide) (PNIPAM) into the pipeline fixed-point, so that the prepared hydrogel tube has thermosensitivity and can achieve controllable fluid transport When the fluid temperature is about 20 ° C, PNIPAM absorbs the fluid to swell and block the pipeline, and the fluid can only pass through the pipeline without PNIPAM When the temperature of the fluid is about 38 ° C, PNIPAM is heated and contracted, and the fluid can pass through two pipes Fig five Preparation of thermosensitive hydrogel hose (source: Chem Commun.) The research team has focused on the research of Polymer Smart thin films In addition to the effective conversion of water sensitive thin films to complex multi hydrogel microtubules, a series of moisture and acetone responsive response films have been developed in recent years, and the stimulus response mechanism, dynamics and potential application properties have been thoroughly explored Relevant articles were published in ACS appl.mater.interfaces, 2018, 10, 19123 (the first author is Wei Jiang, a graduate student), ACS appl Mater Interfaces, 2018, DOI 10.1021/acsami.8b09826 (the first author is Liang Shumin, a third year undergraduate student), J mater Chem A, 2018, 6, 8238 – 8243 (the first author is Tu Yaqing, a third year undergraduate student).