Supramolecular materials offer the unique possibility to engineer dynamic hydrogels with tunable mechanical properties, especially with respect to behavior over time. Within a class of water soluble (1,3,5)-benzenetricarboxamide (BTA) supramolecular polymers, key structural features and molecular changes are sufficient to control the dynamics of the self-assembled polymer, the dynamics of the resultant hydrogels, and the behavior of cells cultured within such dynamic matrices. Juxtaposed to this success, the design of supramolecular host-guest cyclodextrin based hydrogels, to overcome some current limitations of supramolecular polymers, has created several interesting mishaps along the way towards the rational design of supramolecular hydrogels. Lessons learned from these follies will be presented briefly, especially with respect to the dynamics involved in their supramolecular crosslinking. Overall, methods towards the measurement of dynamics within supramolecular materials including FRET assays, super-resolution microscopy, rheology, simulation, and hydrogen-deuterium exchange will be displayed with an eye towards coupling molecular dynamics to materials properties. Such materials are currently under investigation in our lab as dynamic extra-cellular matrix mimics for tissue engineering applications. The current progress, limitations, and immediate goals of this line of research will also be summarized.

Supramolecular polymers to supramolecular crosslinks: Progress in rational design of dynamic water soluble supramolecular architectures

255th National Meeting (2018)

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