Sub-zero temperature mechanically stable low molecular weight hydrogels

Alice E. R. Fayter; Matthew I. Gibson; Emily R. Draper

doi:10.1039/C8TB01668B

Sub-zero temperature mechanically stable low molecular weight hydrogels†

Alice E. R. Fayter,

^a Matthew I. Gibson

^ab and Emily R. Draper

*^c

Author affiliations

* Corresponding authors

^a Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick, UK

^b Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, UK

^c School of Chemistry, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
E-mail: Emily.Draper@glasgow.ac.uk

Abstract

We show here a low molecular weight hydrogelator based on a functionalised-dipeptide which is stable down to temperatures of −12 °C despite being made from >99% water. This stabilty at low temperature can be extended to ∼−40 °C by gelling water : glycerol mixtures. The temperature range is wider than that of the glycerol : water mixtures alone. The rheological properties of the gels do not change at this low temperature compared to that of gels at 25 °C. This freezing point depression offers a potentially new method of transporting gels and offers the prospect of hydrogels being used at much lower working temperatures whilst retaining the desired rheological properties, this is useful for cryopreservation.

This article is part of the themed collection: Journal of Materials Chemistry B Emerging Investigators

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Article information

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/C8TB01668B
Article type: Paper
Submitted: 25 Jun 2018
Accepted: 02 Aug 2018
First published: 02 Aug 2018
This article is Open Access

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J. Mater. Chem. B, 2018,6, 7274-7279

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Sub-zero temperature mechanically stable low molecular weight hydrogels

A. E. R. Fayter, M. I. Gibson and E. R. Draper, J. Mater. Chem. B, 2018, 6, 7274 DOI: 10.1039/C8TB01668B

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications without requesting further permissions from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given.

Journal of Materials Chemistry B

Sub-zero temperature mechanically stable low molecular weight hydrogels†

Abstract

Supplementary files

Article information

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Sub-zero temperature mechanically stable low molecular weight hydrogels

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