Injectable self-healing hydrogels formed via thiol/disulfide exchange of thiol functionalized F127 and dithiolane modified PEG

Abstract

Injectable self-healing hydrogels have found broad applications in drug delivery, tissue engineering and controlled 3D cell culture. Recently, cyclic disulfides were found to be useful in cross-linking and stabilizing liposomes by disulfide exchange polymerization, benefiting from the enhanced reactivity of the disulfide bonds. Herein, we report an injectable self-healing hydrogel constructed from cross-linked F127 with thermo and pH dual responsivity. The rapid sol–gel transition ability at body temperature allows it to be used as an injectable hydrogel. And the increased reactivity of the disulfides of cyclic dithiolane due to the ring tension makes the hydrogel self-heal under not only alkaline conditions but also neutral or even mildly acidic conditions.