Multifunctional and thermoresponsive methylcellulose composite hydrogels with photothermal effect

Yong Ho Yeo; Kiramage Chathuranga; Jong Soo Lee; Jaseung Koo; Won Ho Park

doi:10.1016/j.carbpol.2021.118834

Multifunctional and thermoresponsive methylcellulose composite hydrogels with photothermal effect

Carbohydr Polym. 2022 Feb 1:277:118834. doi: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2021.118834. Epub 2021 Oct 30.

Authors

Yong Ho Yeo¹, Kiramage Chathuranga², Jong Soo Lee², Jaseung Koo¹, Won Ho Park³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Organic Materials Engineering, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, South Korea.
² Department of Veterinary Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, South Korea.
³ Department of Organic Materials Engineering, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, South Korea. Electronic address: parkwh@cnu.ac.kr.

PMID: 34893251
DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2021.118834

Abstract

Multifunctional and thermoresponsive hydrogels can be used as soft materials in various medical applications, such as beauty devices, drug delivery, and near-infrared (NIR) lasers. In this study, methylcellulose (MC) composite hydrogels containing tannic acid (TA) and Fe³⁺ were prepared via a simple, fast process. The MC composite hydrogel contains hydrogen bonds between the MC polymer and TA and coordination bonds between TA and Fe³⁺, without losing the reversible thermogelation properties of the MC polymer. The gelation rates and mechanical properties of the MC composite hydrogel were controlled by varying its TA and Fe³⁺ contents. In particular, the hydrogel with a TA-Fe chelating complex showed an excellent photothermal effect, indicating its potential application in cosmetic beauty devices. It also exhibited UV-blocking, antioxidant, and antibacterial properties owing to the multifunctional TA. The facile processing of these MC/TA/Fe hydrogels provides new opportunities for biomedical applications and beauty devices employing NIR laser therapy.

Keywords: Cosmetic beauty device; Methylcellulose hydrogel; Photothermal effect; Tannic acid.