Press release -
Chemistry and Crystals: Politecnico di Milano's hydrogel study on the cover of Chemistry. Research opens up new perspectives for therapy and cosmetics
Milan, 19 December 2023 - Hydrogels, ubiquitous materials in our daily lives, are the focus of a scientific research published as a hot paper on the cover of the renowned international journal Chemistry - A European Journal. Conducted by the SupraBioNanoLab at the Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering 'Giulio Natta’ at Politecnico di Milano, the work demonstrated how the combination of supramolecular chemistry and crystallography can be used to design hydrogels with specific characteristics.
The study focused on the use of an amino acid called Fmoc-pentafluoro-phenylalanine, which effectively turns into a gel in water. The researchers examined the behaviour of this molecule in the presence of other substances, including bioactive molecules such as vitamin B3, which establish strong attractive interactions with its reactive groups. Experimental results have shown that the interactions between the amino acid and partner molecules are identical both in the formation of a crystalline complex in the solid state and in the creation of a gel in an aqueous solvent.
‘The key to the research was the determination of the crystal structure of the complex through X-ray diffraction, which allowed us to predict the properties and consistency of the resulting gel.’ - explains Valentina Dichiarante of the Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering 'Giulio Natta’ at Politecnico di Milano. ‘This also allowed us to modulate the release of the partner molecule from the gel itself'.
'This scientific breakthrough opens up new perspectives for the selective and targeted design of mixed hydrogels’, adds Pierangelo Metrangolo of the Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering 'Giulio Natta' at Politecnico di Milano. 'The supramolecular interactions between the solid-phase components allow the strength and structure of the gel to be modulated, creating an ideal matrix for the controlled release of active substances, with possible therapeutic or cosmetic applications’.
The exceptional importance of these results led the journal Chemistry - A European Journal to dedicate the main cover of the edition containing the article to it, together with a detailed profile on the authors of the work and their research activity. This award underlines the significant contribution this research brings to the emerging field of hydrogels and biomedical applications.
Link to the study: https://doi.org/10.1002/chem.202301743
‘Acid···Amide Supramolecular Synthon for Tuning Amino Acid-Based Hydrogels’ Properties’
Eleonora Veronese, Claudia Pigliacelli, Greta Bergamaschi, Giancarlo Terraneo, Valentina Dichiarante* and Pierangelo Metrangolo*
Chemistry - A European Journal 2023, e202301743
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Politecnico di Milano is a scientific-technological university which trains engineers, architects and industrial designers.
The University has always focused on the quality and innovation of its teaching and research, developing a fruitful relationship with business and productive world by means of experimental research and technological transfer.
Research has always been linked to didactics and it is a priority commitment which has allowed Politecnico Milano to achieve high quality results at an international level as to join the university to the business world. Research constitutes a parallel path to that formed by cooperation and alliances with the industrial system.
Knowing the world in which you are going to work is a vital requirement for training students. By referring back to the needs of the industrial world and public administration, research is facilitated in following new paths and dealing with the need for constant and rapid innovation. The alliance with the industrial world, in many cases favored by Fondazione Politecnico and by consortiums to which Politecnico belong, allows the university to follow the vocation of the territories in which it operates and to be a stimulus for their development.
The challenge which is being met today projects this tradition which is strongly rooted in the territory beyond the borders of the country, in a relationship which is developing first of all at the European level with the objective of contributing to the creation of a single professional training market. Politecnico takes part in several research, sites and training projects collaborating with the most qualified European universities. Politecnico's contribution is increasingly being extended to other countries: from North America to Southeast Asia to Eastern Europe. Today the drive to internationalization sees Politecnico Milano taking part into the European and world network of leading technical universities and it offers several courses beside many which are entirely taught in English.
