Self-healing hydrogels triggered by amino acids

Abstract

Nine amino acids with different chemical properties have been chosen to promote the formation of hydrogels based on the bolamphiphilic gelator A: three basic amino acids (arginine, histidine and lysine), one acidic amino acid (aspartic acid), two neutral aliphatic amino acids (alanine and serine) and three neutral aromatic amino acids (phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan). Although hydrogels are obtained under any conditions, strong and thermoreversible hydrogels are formed by the addition of Arg to the bolamphiphilic gelator. These hydrogels have physiological pH and self-healing properties and may be used for regenerative medicine applications.