Stimuli-cleavable hydrogels and antimicrobial polymers

Versatility of click reactions on the synthesis of functional polymers has been very recently applied to new research lines on responsive hydrogels using click/unclick reactions and antimicrobial polymers.

On one hand, click chemistry is applied to the preparation of responsive hydrogels using water-soluble polymers with functional groups able to spontaneously react with water soluble crosslinkers in aqueous media. Unclick reactions can be stimulated by pH and/or temperature, and light to provoke the erosion of the polymeric network. Nanogels with conjugated bioactive molecules can be prepared using these click/unclick reactions or degradable hydrogels for controlled delivery of bioactive molecules (antimicrobials, anesthetics, proteins…). Furthermore, the preparation of covalent adaptable networks is also envisaged as an extension of new click/unclick chemical approaches.

On the other hand, orthogonal click reactions can be applied to the preparation of antimicrobial degradable linear-dendritic polymers with guanidium groups at the periphery of dendrons. The influence of dendron generation and hydrophobicity is being investigated to optimize new selective antibacterial polymers based on degradable precise macromolecules.

Involved researchers: Luis Oriol (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ), Milagros Piñol, Sara Bescós, Javier Martín

Key recent publications: