Photoswitchable gel assembly based on molecular recognition

Hiroyasu Yamaguchi, Yuichiro Kobayashi, Ryosuke Kobayashi, Yoshinori Takashima, Akihito Hashidzume and Akira Harada ()
Additional contact information
Hiroyasu Yamaguchi: Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka
Yuichiro Kobayashi: Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka
Ryosuke Kobayashi: Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka
Yoshinori Takashima: Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka
Akihito Hashidzume: Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka
Akira Harada: Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka

Nature Communications, 2012, vol. 3, issue 1, 1-5

Abstract: Abstract The formation of effective and precise linkages in bottom-up or top-down processes is important for the development of self-assembled materials. Self-assembly through molecular recognition events is a powerful tool for producing functionalized materials. Photoresponsive molecular recognition systems can permit the creation of photoregulated self-assembled macroscopic objects. Here we demonstrate that macroscopic gel assembly can be highly regulated through photoisomerization of an azobenzene moiety that interacts differently with two host molecules. A photoregulated gel assembly system is developed using polyacrylamide-based hydrogels functionalized with azobenzene (guest) or cyclodextrin (host) moieties. Reversible adhesion and dissociation of the host gel from the guest gel may be controlled by photoirradiation. The differential affinities of α-cyclodextrin or β-cyclodextrin for the trans-azobenzene and cis-azobenzene are employed in the construction of a photoswitchable gel assembly system.

Date: 2012
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms1617 Abstract (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:natcom:v:3:y:2012:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms1617

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
https://www.nature.com/ncomms/

DOI: 10.1038/ncomms1617

Access Statistics for this article

Nature Communications is currently edited by Nathalie Le Bot, Enda Bergin and Fiona Gillespie

More articles in Nature Communications from Nature
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().