Tuning Pluronic Hydrogel Networks: Effects of Vancomycin Loading on Gelation, Rheological Properties, and Micellar Structures.

IF 5.3 3区化学 Q1 POLYMER SCIENCE

Gels Pub Date : 2025-08-29 DOI:10.3390/gels11090688

Michael J Gaffney, Qi Han, Kate Fox, Nhiem Tran

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Thermoresponsive Pluronic hydrogels offer a promising platform for localised antibiotic delivery. However, how drug loading affects the structural integrity and gelation of these systems remains underexplored. This study evaluates the impact of vancomycin on the physicochemical and self-assembly behaviour of Pluronic F127, F108, and F68 hydrogels. Rheological analysis revealed that vancomycin altered the critical micellisation and gelation temperatures (CMT and CGT, respectively), accelerating gelation in weak gel systems but disrupting network formation in stronger gels. Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) showed that vancomycin suppressed micellar ordering, particularly along FCC (111) planes in F127, without inducing a phase transition. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging confirmed reduced pore integrity in vancomycin-loaded F127 and F108 gels, while 35% F68 gels failed to form stable structures at the tested concentrations despite enhanced drug solubility. F127 (18%) and F108 (22-23%) maintained gelation at 37 °C with reasonable mechanical strength and partial cubic ordering, making them suitable candidates for drug-eluting gels. These findings inform the design of thermoresponsive hydrogels for localised, implant-associated antibiotic delivery.

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调节Pluronic水凝胶网络：万古霉素负载对凝胶、流变性能和胶束结构的影响。

热响应Pluronic水凝胶为局部抗生素递送提供了一个有前途的平台。然而，药物负载如何影响这些系统的结构完整性和凝胶化仍未得到充分研究。本研究评估了万古霉素对Pluronic F127、F108和F68水凝胶的理化和自组装行为的影响。流变学分析表明，万古霉素改变了临界胶束化和凝胶化温度（分别为CMT和CGT），在弱凝胶体系中加速凝胶化，但在强凝胶体系中破坏网络形成。小角度x射线散射（SAXS）显示万古霉素抑制了F127中FCC（111）平面的胶束有序，但没有引起相变。扫描电镜（SEM）成像证实，负载万古霉素的F127和F108凝胶的孔隙完整性降低，而35%的F68凝胶在测试浓度下未能形成稳定的结构，尽管药物溶解度增强。F127（18%）和F108（22-23%）在37°C下保持凝胶，具有合理的机械强度和部分立方有序，使其成为药物洗脱凝胶的合适候选人。这些发现为热反应性水凝胶的设计提供了信息，用于局部植入物相关的抗生素输送。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Gels POLYMER SCIENCE-

CiteScore

4.70

自引率

19.60%

发文量

707

审稿时长

11 weeks

期刊介绍： The journal Gels (ISSN 2310-2861) is an international, open access journal on physical (supramolecular) and chemical gel-based materials. Our aim is to encourage scientists to publish their experimental and theoretical results in as much detail as possible. Therefore, there is no restriction on the maximum length of the papers, and full experimental details must be provided so that the results can be reproduced. Short communications, full research papers and review papers are accepted formats for the preparation of the manuscripts. Gels aims to serve as a reference journal with a focus on gel materials for researchers working in both academia and industry. Therefore, papers demonstrating practical applications of these materials are particularly welcome. Occasionally, invited contributions (i.e., original research and review articles) on emerging issues and high-tech applications of gels are published as special issues.