Biomaterials based on noncovalent interactions of small molecules

Authors

  • Jiaqi Guo Department of Chemistry, Brandeis University, 415 South St., Waltham, MA 02453, USA
  • Changhao Tian Department of Physics, Nanjing University, 22 Hankou Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210093, China
  • Bing Xu Department of Chemistry, Brandeis University, 415 South Street, Waltham, MA 02453, USA. Tel: 781-736-5201, Fax: 781-736-2516, E-mail: bxu@brandeis.edu https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4639-387X

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17179/excli2020-2656

Keywords:

Noncovalent interactions, supramolecular biomaterials, self-assembly, enzymes, application

Abstract

Unlike conventional materials that covalent bonds connecting atoms as the major force to hold the materials together, supramolecular biomaterials rely on noncovalent intermolecular interactions to assemble. The reversibility and biocompatibility of supramolecular biomaterials render them with diverse range of functions and lead to rapid development in the past two decades. This review focuses on the noncovalent and enzymatic control of supramolecular biomaterials, with the introduction to various triggering mechanism to initiate self-assembly. Representative applications of supramolecular biomaterials are highlighted in four categories: tissue engineering, cancer therapy, drug delivery, and molecular imaging. By introducing various applications, we intend to show enzymatic control and noncovalent interactions as a powerful tool for achieving spatiotemporal control of biomaterials both in vitro and in vivo for biomedicine.

Published

2020-08-05

How to Cite

Guo, J., Tian, C., & Xu, B. (2020). Biomaterials based on noncovalent interactions of small molecules. EXCLI Journal, 19, 1124–1140. https://doi.org/10.17179/excli2020-2656

Issue

Section

Review articles