Hybrid hydrogels derived from renewable resources as a smart stimuli responsive soft material for drug delivery applications

The design and synthesis of amphiphilic molecules play a crucial role in fabricating smart functional materials via self-assembly. Especially, biologically significant natural molecules and their structural analogues have inspired chemists and made a major contribution to the development of advanced smart materials. In this report, a series of amphiphilic N-acyl amides were synthesized from natural precursors using a simple synthetic protocol. Interestingly, the self-assembly of amphiphiles 6a and 7a furnished a hydrogel and oleogel in vegetable oils. Morphological analysis of gels revealed the existence of a 3-dimensional fibrous network. Thermoresponsive and thixotropic behavior of these gels were evaluated using rheological analysis. A composite gel prepared by the encapsulation of curcumin in the hydrogel formed from 7a displayed a gel-sol transition in response to pH and could act as a dual channel responsive drug carrier.

Automated summary

The design and synthesis of amphiphilic molecules play a crucial role in fabricating smart functional materials via self-assembly, especially the inspiration from biologically significant natural molecules and their analogues. In this study, a series of amphiphilic N-acyl amides were synthesized from natural precursors using a simple synthetic protocol. The self-assembly of these molecules in vegetable oils resulted in the formation of hydrogel and oleogel, exhibiting unique morphological features and thermoresponsive behavior.