The Construction and Transition of Supramolecular Hydrogels Induced by Cyclodextrin Inclusion

Soft hydrogel nano- and micro-structures have great potential applications in the field of tissue engineering and chemical sensors. In this paper, a supramolecular hydrogel was constructed by combining a triblock copolymer poly(ethylene oxide)100-(propyleneoxide)70-(ethyleneoxide)100 (PEO100-PPO70-PEO100 ) (Pluronic F127), mono-6-thio-β-cyclodextrins (SH-β-CDs), and silver nanoparticles. Here, SH-β-CDs couple to the silver nanoparticles via thio groups and include PPO blocks of F127 using the hydrophobic cavity to form pseudo-polyrotaxanes. Moreover, the hydrogel can be transformed to a homogenous solution by the addition of hydrochloride powder. These results are important for research related to the construction of soft hydrogel materials and control their mechanical properties.