Near-Infrared Light Responsive Multi-Compartmental Hydrogel Particles Synthesized Through Droplets Assembly Induced by Superhydrophobic Surface

• Published in: Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany) Germany), 2014-12, Vol.10 (23), p.4886-4894
• Main Authors: Luo, Rongcong, Cao, Ye, Shi, Peng, Chen, Chia-Hung
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alginates; Alginates - chemistry; Atoms & subatomic particles; Copper - chemistry; Droplets; Drug Carriers - chemistry; drug delivery; Drug Delivery Systems; Gels - chemistry; Hydrogels; Hydrogels - chemistry; Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; Hydrophobic surfaces; Infrared Rays; Lasers; Light; light responsive hydrogels; Materials Testing; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; multi-compartmental hydrogels; Nanoparticles - chemistry; Nanotechnology; Nanotubes - chemistry; Networks; Particulate composites; Polymers - chemistry; Polypyrroles; Pyrroles - chemistry; Sepharose - chemistry; Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared - methods; superhydrophobic surfaces; Switching theory; Tissue Engineering - methods; Water - chemistry
• ISSN: 1613-6810; 1613-6829
• DOI: 10.1002/smll.201401312

Light‐responsive hydrogel particles with multi‐compartmental structure are useful for applications in microreactors, drug delivery and tissue engineering because of their remotely‐triggerable releasing ability and combinational functionalities. The current methods of synthesizing multi‐compartmental hydrogel particles typically involve multi‐step interrupted gelation of polysaccharides or complicated microfluidic procedures with limited throughput. In this study, a two‐step sequential gelation process is developed to produce agarose/alginate double network multi‐compartmental hydrogel particles using droplets assemblies induced by superhydrophobic surface as templates. The agarose/alginate double network multi‐compartmental hydrogel particles can be formed with diverse hierarchical structures showing combinational functionalities. The synthesized hydrogel particles, when loaded with polypyrrole (PPy) nanoparticles that act as photothermal nanotransducers, are demonstrated to function as near‐infrared (NIR) light triggerable and deformation‐free hydrogel materials. Periodic NIR laser switching is applied to stimulate these hydrogel particles, and pulsatile release profiles are collected. Compared with massive reagents released from single‐compartmental hydrogel particles, more regulated release profiles of the multi‐compartmental hydrogel particles are observed. Light responsive multi‐compartmental agarose/alginate double network hydrogel particles composited with polypyrrole (PPy) nanoparticles are formed on superhydrophobic surface. The agarose/PPy hydrogel network imparts the particles with light responsive ability via the sol–gel transition process, whereas the non‐thermal‐responsive alginate network maintains the mechanical properties and morphology of the particles during laser irradiation.