Supramolecular hydrogels based on host-guest complexes between custom-made polyurethanes and cyclodextrins

Nowadays it is well known that alpha-cyclodextrins (αCDs-host) can form supramolecular structures, called poly pseudorotaxanes (PPRs), by threading along polymer chains of poly(ethyleneoxide) (PEO-guest)1. In this work, novel supramolecular systems have been developed using properly synthetized PEO-based polyurethanes (PU) and CDs. The self-assembling ability of these host-guest sytems was studied by dynamic light scattering (DLS), infrared (IR) and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR) spectroscopy. Then, bioartificial hydrogels from these materials with tunable mechanical and self-healing properties were characterizied through rheological tests. Cytocompatibility tests were performed on different hydrogels, to test their potential use in drug/gene delivery and cell encapsulation.