Exploring nucleotides as low molecular weight gelators to fabricate supramolecular multifunctional hydrogels for versatile applications

Abstract

The spontaneous organization of simple biomolecular building blocks into architecturally sophisticated nanostructures lies at the core of many functional systems in nature. This thesis investigated the intrinsic ability of purine nucleotides to serve as low molecular weight gelators, forming a robust three-dimensional supramolecular hydrogel network. Through metal coordination and interactions with biogenic components, these systems self-assemble into higher-order nanofibrous architectures, mirroring the organizational elegance of biological soft tissues. Among them, GMP emerged as a versatile building block, owing to the formation of higher-order G-assemblies via hydrogen bonding, π-π stacking, and other non-covalent interactions. In this context, the gelation ability of AMP is relatively less explored. This thesis demonstrated the potential of AMP-based hydrogel as a versatile, multifunctional platform. A key strength of this thesis lies in the development of a facile and straightforward synthetic strategy that is devoid of any chemical modification. This approach ensures the preservation of the native form of biomolecules while minimizing synthetic complexity, cost, and other tedious experimental procedures. Notably, by retention of the pristine form of the biomolecules, their inherent biological functionality is effectively translated into the resulting material. into the material. The simplicity of these systems can also provide clearer mechanistic insight into the fundamental process governing the self-assembly. These nucleotide-based hydrogel has the potential to be utilized as a versatile template for several biological and biomedical applications and can replace conventional polymeric gelators.