Frontier Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Sciences
Tohoku University

Hydrogels are soft materials composed of three-dimensional network structures that exhibit functions such as molecular recognition, storage, and detection. With a water content exceeding 90% in weight, hydrogels demonstrate excellent biocompatibility. However, many fundamental scientific aspects of hydrogels remain unexplored. In particular, the relationship among molecular design (nm-scale), micro- and mesoscale structures (µm-scale), and material properties (mm-scale) has yet to be fully elucidated. Understanding the design-structure-property relationship remains a challenge for the rational material design and application of hydrogels. In this study, we aim to clarify the design-structure-property relationship of new types of hydrogels by integrating Tateishi’s (Assistant Professor at FRIS) synthetic techniques of porous materials with Ikeuchi’s (Assistant Professor at FRIS) expertise in direct observation techniques with electron microscopy.

First, organogels will be fabricated by linking metal complexes and organic polymers in organic solvents, followed by solvent exchange to water to obtain a new type of inorganic-organic hybrid hydrogels. The micro- and mesoscale structures of the hydrogels will directly be observed and analyzed their three-dimensional structure by using electron microscopy. The hydrogels will be evaluated for their capacity to store target molecular cargos and their deformation behavior upon chemical stimuli. The subtle structural changes of the hydrogels in response to adding the cargos will be directly visualized by electron microscopy to comprehensively elucidate the design-structure-property relationship. Through the comprehensive analysis, we will promote the sciences and applications of hydrogels by leveraging their inherent biocompatibility.