Photoswitchable Supramolecular Hydrogels Formed by Cyclodextrins and Azobenzene Polymers

Shine a light: A supramolecular hydrogel is formed by the glucan curdlan equipped with α-cyclodextrins (CD-CUR) and azobenzene-modified poly(acrylic acid)(pAC12Azo). The sol–gel transition and the morphology of the supramolecular hydrogel can be switched by photoirradiation at the appropriate wavelength, which controls the formation of an inclusion complex between the α-cyclodextrins and the azobenzene moieties (see picture). Detailed facts of importance to specialist readers are published as ”Supporting Information”. Such documents are peer-reviewed, but not copy-edited or typeset. They are made available as submitted by the authors. Please note: The publisher is not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting information supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than missing content) should be directed to the corresponding author for the article.