Azobenzene-grafted carboxymethyl cellulose hydrogels with photo-switchable, reduction-responsive and self-healing properties for a controlled drug release system

In this study, multifunctional hydrogels containing host-guest complex formation between azobenzene-grafted carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC-Azo) and β-cyclodextrin (CD) dimers connected by disulfide bonds with agarose for structural support were prepared. The obtained hydrogels exhibited self-healing properties by host-guest complexation as well as gel-sol phase transition in response to ultraviolet (UV) light and reducing agents. Photo-switchable properties of the hydrogels depend on changes in the complex formation of CD-dimers through the trans(450 nm) to cis(365 nm) photo-isomerization of azobenzene. The tensile and strain sweep tests confirmed that the hydrogel's self-healing ability was 79.44% and 81.59%, respectively. In addition, drug release from the hydrogels was controlled to accelerate to 80% in 3 h using UV light or reducing agent. Since the suggested photo-switchable, reduction-responsive, and self-healable hydrogels are non-cytotoxic, they can be potentially applied as biomedical materials in the development of hydrogel-based drug release systems.