Squaramide-based supramolecular materials for 3D cell culture applications

Tong, C. (2021)

Doctoral Thesis

A new type of tripodal squaramide-based supramolecular hydrogels is developed and studied. The mechanical properties of hydrogel with a wide stiffness range that can be easily modulated and also special and temporal controlled either by decorating with the activated group to offer additional chemical crosslinks or using hybrid hydrogel by incorporating the second network through light irradiation to overcome the weakness of traditional self-assembled supramolecular materials. Moreover, the designed synthetic hydrogel systems are biocompatible with several cell lines and have the potential to use as a 3D culture substrate.

• Squaramide
• Supramolecular hydrogels
• 1,2-dithiolane
• UV irradiation
• Bioactive cues
• Stiffness tunable
• Photopatterning
• Double network
• 3D cell culture

• All authors: Tong, C.
• Supervisor: Kros, A.; Kieltyka, R.E.
• Committee: Overkleeft, H.S.; Bonnet, S.A.; Danen, E.H.J.; Fernández, G.; Sleiman, H.F.
• Qualification: Doctor (dr.)
• Awarding Institution: Leiden Institute of Chemistry (LIC), Faculty of Science, Leiden University
• Date: 2021-03-10