ROBUST SCALABLE SYNTHESIS OF A BIS-UREA DERIVATIVE FORMING THIXOTROPIC AND CYTOCOMPATIBLE SUPRAMOLECULAR HYDROGELS

Abstract

Synthetic hydrogels address a need for affordable, industrially scalable scaffolds for tissue engineering. Herein, a novel low molecular weight gelator is reported that forms self-healing supramolecular hydrogels. Its robust synthesis can be performed in a solvent-free manner using ball milling. Strikingly, encapsulated cells spread and proliferate without specific cell adhesion ligands in the nanofibrous material.