Title
Incorporation of Fmoc-Y nanofiber in Ca-alginate hydrogels for improving mechanical properties and controlled release of small molecules
Author
Jiahui Chen, Na Tao, Shiqi Fang, Zewen Chen, Li Liang, Xiaoyi Sun, Juan Li, You-Nian Liu
Year
2018
Journal
New Journal of Chemistry
Abstract
Simple peptide—Fmoc-tyrosine (Fmoc-Y) with self-assembled nanofiber structure was incorporated in Ca-alginate hydrogels to create a hybrid hydrogel of interpenetrating network (IPN). SEM and CD analysis was employed to confirm the integrity of Fmoc-Y nanofiber structure. In the IPN hybrid hydrogel, the self-assembled Fmoc-Y nanofiber hydrogel can reinforce the Ca-alginate network. The IPN hydrogel exhibits enhanced storage moduli and fracture energy, about several times compared to Ca-alginate, Fmoc-Y and semi-IPN hydrogels. Furthermore, the IPN hydrogel reveals minimal release (less than 1%) for hydrophilic small molecules in acidic pH and sustained release in physiological pH, which can be achieved by simply tuning the Fmoc-Y concentration. Owing to the cost-efficiency of raw material and ease of fabrication, the synthesized hybrid hydrogels provide new options for diverse applications.
Instrument
J-815
Keywords
Circular dichroism, Secondary structure, Nanostructures, Biochemistry, Materials