Phase behavior and themorheological properties of meglumine-based amphiphilic gels potentially aplicable as bioadhesive materials

Abstract

Some substances having a small molecular weight aggregate spontaneously in solution or in liquid state by intermolecular interactions resulting supramolecular structures. This process, set as self-assembly may result in the formation of simpler species as dimers to structures with more complex organization such as films, membranes, vesicles, gels and micelles. Recently we observed that adducts obtained from the reaction between a carboxylic acid and an aminocarbohydrate known as meglumine self-assemble to form a supramolecular polymer with high molecular weight. Since the properties of these polymers depend on the nature of the monomers used in their production, naturally occurring organic acids can effectively function as precursors for the manufacture of these materials. Particularly, the oleochemical derivatives, such as modified vegetable oils and fatty acids, are extremely attractive raw materials, because they are abundant, relatively inexpensive and have high ability to be biocompatible. Thus, this project aims to develop meglumine-based amphiphilic gels originated from the combination of fatty acids and the carbohydrate meglumine to be applied in the biomedical field. The relevance of this study lies in its highly interdisciplinary character, intersecting the chemistry of nanostructured materials (supramolecular gels and lyotropic liquid crystals), green chemistry (use of biomass to obtain functional products) and bioengineering. The strategy proposed aims to establish correlations between physico-chemical and structural properties of this new class of materials based on studies of phase behavior and thermorheology, in order to obtain biocompatible materials with high power of bioadhesion. The results will contribute not only to aspects of the practical application of these materials, but also offer support around the theory that involves amphiphilic systems and complex fluids. (AU)