TY  - JOUR
A1  - Balk, Maria
A1  - Behl, Marc
A1  - Nöchel, Ulrich
A1  - Lendlein, Andreas
T1  - Enzymatically triggered Jack-in-the-box-like hydrogels
JF  - ACS applied materials & interfaces / American Chemical Society
N2  - Enzymes can support the synthesis or degradation of biomacromolecules in natural processes. Here, we demonstrate that enzymes can induce a macroscopic-directed movement of microstructured hydrogels following a mechanism that we call a "Jack-in-the-box" effect. The material's design is based on the formation of internal stresses induced by a deformation load on an architectured microscale, which are kinetically frozen by the generation of polyester locking domains, similar to a Jack-in-thebox toy (i.e., a compressed spring stabilized by a closed box lid). To induce the controlled macroscopic movement, the locking domains are equipped with enzyme-specific cleavable bonds (i.e., a box with a lock and key system). As a result of enzymatic reaction, a transformed shape is achieved by the release of internal stresses. There is an increase in entropy in combination with a swelling-supported stretching of polymer chains within the microarchitectured hydrogel (i.e., the encased clown pops-up with a pre-stressed movement when the box is unlocked). This utilization of an enzyme as a physiological stimulus may offer new approaches to create interactive and enzyme-specific materials for different applications such as an optical indicator of the enzyme's presence or actuators and sensors in biotechnology and in fermentation processes.
KW  - enzyme
KW  - hydrogels
KW  - stimuli-sensitive materials
KW  - shape change
KW  - poly(e-caprolactone)
KW  - switch
KW  - microporous
Y1  - 2021
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.1c00466
SN  - 1944-8244
SN  - 1944-8252
VL  - 13
IS  - 7
SP  - 8095
EP  - 8101
PB  - American Chemical Society
CY  - Washington, DC
ER  -