Design of peptide-based bolaamphiphiles exhibiting heat-set hydrogelation via retro-Diels–Alder reaction

Abstract

Supramolecular hydrogels have attracted much attention as smart soft materials. To install various stimuli-responsive functions in the supramolecular hydrogels, skilful utility of chemical reactions for triggering the change in molecular structure of hydrogelators or their precursor in response to external stimuli is a promising strategy. We have recently developed a unique heat-set supramolecular hydrogel, which was triggered by rationally designed molecular conversion of a glycolipid-based bolaamphiphile into a hydrogelator via retro-Diels–Alder reaction. Here we designed new bolaamphiphiles based on short peptide-based hydrogelators as a scaffold to accelerate the heat-set hydrogelation process and also demonstrated the flexible molecular design of such bolaamphiphiles.