Reconfigurable and tunable photo-controlled hydrogel using hydrogen bonding to drive molecule self-assembly and cross-linking.

Reconfigurable micro–nanostructures have been largely used in the development of modern photocontrol technology. In this work, a dynamically adjustable hydrogel of supramolecule structures is realized by molecule self-assembly and cross-link in microscale. Calculations based on the molecule modeling systematically illuminate the assembly process and the mechanism of the dynamically adjustable micro–nanostructure. The transmittance changes of the hydrogel, which are measured in the visible-light range before and after electric heating, show outstanding light-control function. Thus, the one-step fabrication, bio-compatibility (no initiator, cross linker, or monomer residual), and agile photocontrol application demonstrate the potential of the adjustable physically bonded hydrogel in development of low-loss and integrated dynamical light-control devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]