Abstract
In this work, an effective method was developed to prepare novel PEO-b-PPO-b-PEO (EPE)/α-cyclodextrin (α-CD) supramolecular hydrogels containing exfoliated graphite nanoplates (xGNPs) by mixing an aqueous solution of α-CD with an aqueous dispersion of xGNPs at the presence of amphiphilic EPE copolymer. The EPE copolymer played three important roles in the preparation process: (1) as an exfoliating agent to break expanded graphites into xGNPs under ultrasonication, (2) as a dispersant to stabilize xGNPs in the aqueous solution, and （3）as a component to form the inclusion complexes with α-CD. The resultant xGNPs/EPE/α-CD hybridized hydrogels were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, wide-angle X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, which confirmed not only the formation of supramolecular hydrogel structure but also the homogenous dispersion of xGNPs in the hydrogel matrix. It was found that the existence of xGNPs can accelerate the speed of gel formation in comparison with that of the native EPE/α-CD hydrogel. Additionally, the water-retention ability and the release behavior of vancomycin hydrochloride for the xGNPs/EPE/α-CD hybridized hydrogels were investigated.
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