RT journal article
T1 Multifunctional Protein Eutectogels Based on Polyphenolic: Zwitterionic Low-Transition-Temperature Mixtures
A1 Martin-Saldaña, S.
A1 Sanz de León, Alberto
A1 Mata Fernández, María de la
A1 Politakos, N.
A1 Olmedo-Martínez, J.L.
A1 Müller, A.J.
A1 Beloqui, A.
A1 Calderón, M.
A1 Picchio, M.L.
A2 Ciencia de los Materiales e Ingeniería Metalúrgica y Química Inorgánica
K1 betaine
K1 deep eutectic solvents
K1 gelatin eutectogels
K1 low-transition-temperature mixtures
K1 tannic acid
AB Low-transition-temperature mixtures (LTTMs) are an exciting class of eutectic solvents that undergo a second-order phase transition (i.e., a glass transition) rather than a typical melting point. Herein, an innovative soft eutectogel is presented incorporating therapeutic LTTMs based on a natural polyphenol and a renewable, non-toxic, and biodegradable zwitterionic compound. This LTTM enables the formation of protein-based elastomers with multiple functional properties, including strong adhesiveness, anti-freezing and anti-drying behavior, high elasticity, water resistance, and anti-inflammatory activity. Notably, It is found that the high polyphenol content in the LTTM completely disrupts protein-protein interactions, hindering the formation of secondary structures essential for gelation in water. Instead, water-mediated protein-polyphenol interactions promote the formation of tough physically crosslinked gels, with the zwitterion playing a key role in preventing excessive binding that would otherwise lead to protein precipitation. Furthermore, the presence of the polyphenol in a dynamic liquid state provides long-lasting stickiness, which is exploited to microstructure the eutectogel surface via the breath figure technique, yielding bilayer functional materials. This study opens a new avenue for designing versatile soft materials from LTTMs, demonstrating how liquefying solid polyphenols can expand the application scope of many multifunctional building blocks.
PB John Wiley and Sons Inc
SN 1616-3028
YR 2025
FD 2025
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10498/38617
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10498/38617
LA eng
DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Cádiz
RD 10-nov-2026