Next Article in Journal
Graft Copolymers of Carboxymethyl Cellulose and Poly(N-vinylimidazole) as Promising Carriers for Metronidazole
Previous Article in Journal
Thermal Degradation Kinetics of Natural Fibers: Determination of the Kinetic Triplet and Lifetime Prediction
 
 
Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
Journals
Polysaccharides
Volume 5
Issue 3
10.3390/polysaccharides5030014
polysaccharides-logo
Submit to this Journal Review for this Journal Propose a Special Issue
► Article Menu

Article Menu

share Share announcement Help format_quote Cite question_answer Discuss in SciProfiles
first_page
settings
Order Article Reprints
Font Type:
Arial Georgia Verdana
Font Size:
Aa Aa Aa
Line Spacing:
Column Width:
Background:
Article

Functional Agarose Hydrogels Obtained by Employing Homogeneous Synthesis Strategies

by
Martin Gericke
1,*,†,
Markus Witzler
1,2,†,
Astrid Enkelmann
3,
Gerlind Schneider
3,
Margit Schulze
2,4 and
Thomas Heinze
1,*,†
1
Centre of Excellence for Polysaccharide Research, Institute of Organic Chemistry and Macromolecular Chemistry, Friedrich Schiller University of Jena, Humboldtstraße 10, D-07743 Jena, Germany
2
Department of Natural Sciences, Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences, von-Liebig-Str. 20, D-53359 Rheinbach, Germany
3
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Jena University Hospital, Am Klinikum 1, D-07747 Jena, Germany
4
Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation, Faculty of Agriculture, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-University Bonn, Klein-Altendorf 2, D-53359 Rheinbach, Germany
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
Members of the European Polysaccharide Network of Excellence (EPNOE); http://www.epnoe.eu.
Polysaccharides 2024, 5(3), 184-197; https://doi.org/10.3390/polysaccharides5030014
Submission received: 17 May 2024 / Revised: 21 June 2024 / Accepted: 23 June 2024 / Published: 28 June 2024
Browse Figures
Versions Notes

Abstract

The goal of this study was to explore a route for introducing functionalities into agarose-based hydrogels to tune the physical, chemical, and biological properties. Several agarose derivatives were prepared by homogeneous synthesis, including anionic agarose sulfates (ASs), reactive azido agaroses (AZAs), and cationic agarose carbamates (ACs), as well as agarose tosylates (ATOSs) and agarose phenyl carbonates (APhCs). The products were characterized in terms of their molecular structure and solubility behavior. The results suggest that the native gel-forming ability of agarose is retained if the introduced functionalities are hydrophilic, and the overall degree of substitution is low (DS < 0.5). Thus, functional hydrogels from several agarose derivatives could be obtained. The mechanical stability of the functional hydrogels was decreased compared to native agarose gels but was still in a range that enables safe handling. An increase in mechanical strength could be achieved by blending functional agarose derivatives and agarose into composite hydrogels. Finally, it was demonstrated that the novel functional agarose hydrogels are biocompatible and can potentially stimulate interactions with cells and tissue.
Keywords: agarose; hydrogels; polysaccharides; chemical derivatization; polysaccharide sulfates; polysaccharide tosylates; click chemistry; biocompatibility agarose; hydrogels; polysaccharides; chemical derivatization; polysaccharide sulfates; polysaccharide tosylates; click chemistry; biocompatibility
Graphical Abstract

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Gericke, M.; Witzler, M.; Enkelmann, A.; Schneider, G.; Schulze, M.; Heinze, T. Functional Agarose Hydrogels Obtained by Employing Homogeneous Synthesis Strategies. Polysaccharides 2024, 5, 184-197. https://doi.org/10.3390/polysaccharides5030014

AMA Style

Gericke M, Witzler M, Enkelmann A, Schneider G, Schulze M, Heinze T. Functional Agarose Hydrogels Obtained by Employing Homogeneous Synthesis Strategies. Polysaccharides. 2024; 5(3):184-197. https://doi.org/10.3390/polysaccharides5030014

Chicago/Turabian Style

Gericke, Martin, Markus Witzler, Astrid Enkelmann, Gerlind Schneider, Margit Schulze, and Thomas Heinze. 2024. "Functional Agarose Hydrogels Obtained by Employing Homogeneous Synthesis Strategies" Polysaccharides 5, no. 3: 184-197. https://doi.org/10.3390/polysaccharides5030014

APA Style

Gericke, M., Witzler, M., Enkelmann, A., Schneider, G., Schulze, M., & Heinze, T. (2024). Functional Agarose Hydrogels Obtained by Employing Homogeneous Synthesis Strategies. Polysaccharides, 5(3), 184-197. https://doi.org/10.3390/polysaccharides5030014

Article Metrics

Back to TopTop