Hydrogen bonding in aprotic solvents, a new strategy for gelation of bioinspired catecholic copolymers with N-isopropylamide

Copolymers of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) and dopamine methacrylate can establish a reversible, self-healing 3D network in aprotic solvents based on hydrogen bonding. The reactivity and hydrogen bonding formation of catechol groups in copolymer chains are studied by UV-vis and ¹H NMR spectroscopy, while reversibility from sol to gel and inverse as well as self-healing properties are tested rheologically. The produced reversible organogel can self-encapsulate physically interacting or chemically bonded solutes such as drugs due to thermosensitivity of the used copolymer. This system offers dual-targeted and controlled drug delivery and release - by slowing down release kinetics by supramolecular bonding of the drug and by reducing diffusion rates due to modulus increase.