Hydrogels represent heterogeneous systems that consist of a large amount of water retained by a three-dimensional network. The hydrogel network is the result of assembly through physical interactions or chemical cross-linking of polymers or small molecules. The applications of hydrogels (water purification, tissue regeneration, therapeutic delivery, bio-detection or bio-imaging, etc.) depend on their physicochemical properties and structural features. Although electron microscopy and viscoelastic measurements provide general information about a gel material, the spectroscopic methods complement these methods and also afford a deep insight into the gel structure. In this chapter, the applications of several spectroscopic methods for characterizing polymeric or supramolecular hydrogels are discussed. Thus, this review highlights the particular application of vibrational spectroscopy, circular dichroism, fluorescence (these providing information on assembly in the network), interactions that occur between network and solvent (water), pulsed-field gradient NMR (determination of mesh size) and EPR spectroscopy (a method that can provide extensive information regarding the assembly process, diffusion and release).
Part of the book: Emerging Concepts in Analysis and Applications of Hydrogels
Riboflavin, known as vitamin B2, belongs to the class of water-soluble vitamins with redox, fluorescence, and photosensitizing properties. Riboflavin contains a fragment of 7,8-dimethyl-10-(1′-D-ribityl) isoalloxazine with a system of conjugated double bonds that is are responsible for its photochemical properties. In the presence of light and oxygen, riboflavin generates reactive oxygen species that can be further involved in the oxidation of biological molecules such as amino acids, proteins, nucleotides, and lipids. The chapter focuses on the photochemical application of riboflavin in (1) cross-linking of structural proteins such as collagen and (2) synthesis of hydrogels. The involvement of riboflavin in such processes has already found application in medicine, especially in the treatment of ophthalmic diseases and in tissue engineering.
Part of the book: Biophysical Chemistry
Cyclodextrins are natural cyclic oligosaccharides with a cone shape delimiting a hydrophobic cavity. The rims of cyclodextrins can be functionalized in order to improve their properties. Based on this, cyclodextrins can be linked to polymer chains, which further allows the tuning of the polymer properties. This review describes the methods of polymer functionalization with cyclodextrins and highlights the changes in the physicochemical properties of these materials. This chapter is focused on polymers in solution and in gel states. Cyclodextrin-based polymers are evaluated by various physicochemical methods, such as rheology, calorimetry, and spectroscopy (electron paramagnetic resonance, fluorescence, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), etc.). Both natural and synthetic polymers are considered in this chapter.
Part of the book: Cyclodextrins