Supramolecular polymers are class of materials that are formed by non-covalent interactions such as hydrogen bonding, π-π interactions, electrostatic interactions and the hydrophobic effect. The... Show moreSupramolecular polymers are class of materials that are formed by non-covalent interactions such as hydrogen bonding, π-π interactions, electrostatic interactions and the hydrophobic effect. The design and development of supramolecular polymers in aqueous solution gained a particular attention for the wide variety of applications in the biomedical field. In water, the self-assembly of well-defined nanostructures is mainly determined by the combination of hydrophobic effect with hydrogen bonding interactions in the monomer design. When squaramide-based monomer self-assemble, the formation of stable nanostructures in water is determined by the formation of directional hydrogen bonds which are strengthened by the partial aromatic character of the squaramide. In this thesis, the self-assembly properties of a panel of squaramide-based monomers is examined in aqueous solution through modulating the monomer chemical structure, co-assembly and introduction of light responsive chemistries. Show less
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... Show moreA 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. Show less
