Self-healing supramolecular hydrogels fabricated by cucurbit[8]uril-enhanced π-π interaction

Novel self-healing supramolecular hydrogels have successfully been fabricated through reversible cucurbit[8]uril (CB[8])-enhanced π-π interaction. Naphthaline groups in the side chains of copolymers and CB[8] molecules are employed as cross-linkers to form 1:2 ternary complex by host-guest interaction. Furthermore, the dipole-dipole interaction between the polar carbonyl groups of CB[8] and quaternary ammonium cation also contributes to the formation of self-healing property. It is found that the molar ratio of CB[8] to naphthaline units has a great influence on its self-healing property. This work represents a facile approach for fabricating cucurbituril-based self-healing supramolecular hydrogels, which can be potentially applied in several fields.