A visible and controllable porphyrin-poly(ethylene glycol)/α-cyclodextrin hydrogel nanocomposites system for photo response

The real-time controlling and tracking of the evolution and status of the hydrogel are important challenges for accurate and precise assessments. In this article, a visible and controllable hydrogel nanocomposites system for photo response was designed and developed based on a thermosensitive porphyrin-poly(ethylene glycol)/α-cyclodextrin hydrogel loaded with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (PPEG-MWNTs/α-CD). The PPEG-MWNTs/α-CD hydrogel was simply self-assembled with a carbon nanotubes dispersed porphyrin-poly(ethylene glycol) solution and an aqueous solution of α-cyclodextrin by homogeneous stirring. The structure and the optical and photothermal abilities of the hydrogel nanocomposites system were characterized in vitro. Moreover, the controlled disassembly of the hydrogel was monitored in real time by in vivo fluorescence imaging after subcutaneous injection using mice as models. The results demonstrated that the hydrogel disassembly can be efficiently accelerated under laser irradiation with the loading of carbon nanotubes by fluorescence imaging visualization. With the advantages of the photo response, fluorescence imaging tracking and photothermal remote controlling were combined into the hydrogel nanocomposites system.