Supramolecular Hydrogels Using Host-Guest Inclusion Complexes with Cyclodextrins

The development of self-healing materials with the ability to repair damage has received considerable attention. The challenge of the weak mechanical properties of host–guest-based selfhealable hydrogels was largely solved by employing the β-cyclodextrin dimer (Bis-CD) as a host cross-linker. Here new supramolecular hydrogel with high self-healing rate was synthesized via insitu copolymerization of the adamantane-containing monomer N-(1-adamantyl)acrylamide (AdAAm) and monomer acrylic acid (AAc) in the β-cyclodextrin dimer (Bis-CD) aqueous solution. Bis-CD-Ad gel displayed good self-healing ability, and could effectively heal in less than a few seconds.