# Using a supramolecular monomer formulation approach to engineer modular, dynamic microgels, and composite macrogels

**Source**: https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/340179/
**Parent**: https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/project_code/315918.html

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# Using a supramolecular monomer formulation approach to engineer modular, dynamic microgels, and composite macrogels

Rovers, Maritza M., [Rogkoti, Theodora](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/author/62584.html) [ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-5394-9074](https://orcid.org/0009-0000-5394-9074), Bakker, Bram K., Bakal, Kalpit J., van Genderen, Marcel H.P., [Salmeron‐Sanchez, Manuel](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/author/30067.html) [ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8112-2100](https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8112-2100) and Dankers, Patricia Y.W.
(2024)
Using a supramolecular monomer formulation approach to engineer modular, dynamic microgels, and composite macrogels.
*[Advanced Materials](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/journal_volume/Advanced_Materials.html)*, 36(30),
2405868.
(doi: [10.1002/adma.202405868](https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202405868))
(PMID:[39463044](https://europepmc.org/abstract/MED/39463044)) 
(PMCID:[PMC11636168](https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC11636168))

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|  | [Text](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/340179/1/340179.pdf)  340179.pdf - Published Version  Available under License [Creative Commons Attribution](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).  9MB |

## Abstract

Microgels show advantages over bulk hydrogels due to convenient control over microgel size and composition, and the ability to use microgels to modularly construct larger hierarchical scaffold hydrogel materials. Here, supramolecular chemistry is used to formulate supramolecular polymer, dynamic microgels solely held together by non-covalent interactions. Four-fold hydrogen bonding ureido-pyrimidinone (UPy) monomers with different functionalities are applied to precisely tune microgel properties in a modular way, via variations in monomer concentration, bifunctional crosslinker ratio, and the incorporation of supramolecular dyes and peptides. Functionalization with a bioactive supramolecular cell-adhesive peptide induced selectivity of cells toward the bioactive microgels over non-active, non-functionalized versions. Importantly, the supramolecular microgels can also be applied as microscale building blocks into supramolecular bulk macrogels with tunable dynamic behavior: a robust and weak macrogel, where the micro- and macrogels are composed of similar molecular building blocks. In a robust macrogel, microgels act as modular micro-building blocks, introducing multi-compartmentalization, while in a weak macrogel, microgels reinforce and enhance mechanical properties. This work demonstrates the potential to modularly engineer higher-length-scale structures using small molecule supramolecular monomers, wherein microgels serve as versatile and modular micro-building units.

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| Item Type: | Articles |
| Keywords: | Cell culture, droplet-based microfluidics, hydrogel, microgel, multiscale modularity, supramolecular biomaterial, synthetic extracellular matrix. |
| Status: | Published |
| Refereed: | Yes |
| Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: | [Salmeron-Sanchez, Professor Manuel](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/author/30067.html) and [Rogkoti, Dora](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/author/62584.html) |
| Authors: | Rovers, M. M., [Rogkoti, T.](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/author/62584.html), Bakker, B. K., Bakal, K. J., van Genderen, M. H.P., [Salmeron‐Sanchez, M.](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/author/30067.html), and Dankers, P. Y.W. |
| College/School: | [College of Science and Engineering](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/divisions/30000000/) > [School of Engineering](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/divisions/30300000/) > [Biomedical Engineering](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/divisions/30303000/) |
| Journal Name: | [Advanced Materials](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/journal_volume/Advanced_Materials.html) |
| Publisher: | Wiley |
| ISSN: | 0935-9648 |
| ISSN (Online): | 1521-4095 |
| Published Online: | 27 October 2024 |
| Copyright Holders: | Copyright © 2024 The Authors |
| First Published: | First published in Advanced Materials 36(30): 2405868 |
| Publisher Policy: | Reproduced under a Creative Commons licence |

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Project Code

Award No

Project Name

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[315918](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/project_code/315918.html)

DEVISE - Engineered viscoelasticity in regenerative microenvironments

Manuel Salmeron-Sanchez

[EPSRC EU Guarantee (EPSRCEU)](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/funder/EPSRC_EU_Guarantee_=28EPSRCEU=29.html)

101054728

ENG - Biomedical Engineering

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| ID Code: | 340179 |
| Depositing User: | [Dr Aniko Szilagyi](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/profile/16852) |
| Datestamp: | 29 Oct 2024 13:50 |
| Last Modified: | 27 May 2025 08:17 |
| Date of first online publication: | 27 October 2024 |
| Date Deposited: | 29 October 2024 |
| Data Availability Statement: | Yes |

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