Understanding molecular interactions in Eutectogels for enhancing their therapeutic potential

초록

Researchers are increasingly favoring hydrogels derived from deep eutectic solvents (DES) for the fabrication of soft materials. Nevertheless, owing to the scarcity of comprehensive studies on molecular interactions, the macroscopic properties of DES-based hydrogels remain inadequately investigated. Recent studies propose that eutectogels rely on hydrogen bonding, electrostatic ion-dipole interactions, hydrophobic nanodomain partitioning, and reversible dynamic cross-linking. The equilibrium process between the solvent-solvent and solvent-polymer interactions controls the hydrogel's properties and structure. This combination creates a one-of-a-kind structured fluid microenvironment. However, the evaluation of network uniformity, mesh size, and ionic microdomains reveals a distinctive topological-kinetic correlation between nanoscale architecture and the kinetics of controlled release. Here, a design strategy is formulated for developing structurally optimized, task-specific eutectogels for precision medicine by integrating key aspects of structural chemistry with therapeutic efficacy and by addressing the translational challenges associated with DES diffusion and cytotoxicity. Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.

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