Anisotropic Responses with Cation Selectivity in Hierarchically Ordered Polysaccharide Networks AITranslate

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DOI：https://doi.org/10.1021/acsapm.2c00859

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In a sustainable society, natural polysaccharides such as pectin are expected to be used as advanced biomaterials in physiological environments due to their water-retaining properties. Although their static molecular structures have been determined, as dynamic materials, their directionality or ion selectivity has not been controlled. In contrast to polysaccharides such as cellulose in cell walls, pectin has a relatively flexible polymer structure and significant potential to respond to cations such as calcium ions. In this study, we design reordered polysaccharide materials with cation selectivity and anisotropic responses. By controlling the drying process of an aqueous pectin dispersion using the meniscus splitting method, the deposited polymer membrane acquires a three-dimensionally ordered structure. Using the membrane, the egg-box model of the macromolecular structure can yield its anisotropic responses to cations as a swelling hydrogel. Intermolecular cross-linking points are generated in the ordered structure as functions of the valence and the ionic diameter. Because of the hierarchically ordered network, the membrane shows inherent swelling in each direction as an anisotropic hydrogel. This type of gel would be expected as adaptively swellable materials in physiological environments for tissue engineering. We envision that adaptive soft materials can be designed by immobilizing functional molecules into an anisotropic polymer network, which can sensitively respond to various signals as advanced actuators and drug delivery systems.