# Toward Dynamic Liquid Cell Scaffold: Photoreversible Ion Gels Exhibiting Light‐Induced Sol‐Gel Transitions

https://mdr.nims.go.jp/datasets/28d73c93-3a9a-44dc-bd90-435e1f1d16ba

## File

- [260406_Macromolecular Rapid Communications - 2026 - Saruwatari - Toward Dynamic Liquid Cell Scaffold  Photoreversible Ion Gels.pdf](https://mdr.nims.go.jp/filesets/3c15c44e-dbba-426e-90e3-d59e4ebbc793/download) ([Detail](https://mdr.nims.go.jp/filesets/3c15c44e-dbba-426e-90e3-d59e4ebbc793.md))

## Id

28d73c93-3a9a-44dc-bd90-435e1f1d16ba

## Local identifier



## Visibility

open_to_public

## State

published

## Created at

2026-04-08T04:25:06.574292Z

## Updated at

2026-04-09T00:52:44.719781Z

## Published at

2026-04-09T03:24:44.807440Z

## Doi



## First published url

https://doi.org/10.1002/marc.202500909

## Date published

2026-01-28

## Recorded date published

2026-4

## Resource type

journal_article

## Manuscript type

vor

## Collection



## Title

- title: 'Toward Dynamic Liquid Cell Scaffold: Photoreversible Ion Gels Exhibiting
    Light‐Induced Sol‐Gel Transitions'
  title_type: original
  lang: en

## Description

- description: Reversible sol–gel transitions are difficult to achieve in conventional
    water-swollen hydrogels in open aqueous environments, because polymer chains dissolve
    or diffuse once the network disassembles. Here, we present a proof-of-concept
    to overcome this limitation by introducing a water-immiscible and non-cytotoxic
    ionic liquid (IL) phase that confines polymer networks and prevents dissolution
    during reversible phase transitions. We report a photoreversible ion gel that
    crosses the rheological boundary (tan δ∼ 1) under light, enabling reversible sol–gel
    switching within this closed IL environment. The material integrates an ABC triblock
    copolymer, P(AzoAmr -NIPAm)b -PBuAb -PSt, with a solvent-quality-tunable blend
    of non-cytotoxic ILs ([P4,4,4,1][TFSI]/[P8,8,8,8][TFSI]). The photoresponsive
    A-block, P(AzoAmr -NIPAm), exhibits a polarity-dependent solubility change with
    the cis / trans isomerization of azobenzene, providing a reversible light-controlled
    self-assembly. Time-resolved rheology confirmed repeated crossings of tan δ= 1
    under alternating UV–vis illumination at 52◦C. The switching mechanism is governed
    by the lifetime of reversible junctions, consistent with transient network theory.
    In addition, hMSCs adhered to and spread on the ion gel at 37◦C, indicating the
    cytocompatibility of the ion gel itself. This light-programmable, water-immiscible
    ion gel has the potential to provide a reversible liquid-solid mechanical cue
    for next-generation mechanobiology.
  description_type: abstract
  lang: und

## Creator

- name: Aya Saruwatari
  role: author
  orcid: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7388-4626
- name: Yuji Kamiyama
  role: author
  orcid: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9483-2112
- name: Ryota Tamate
  role: author
  orcid: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1704-1058
- name: Jun Nakanishi
  role: author
  orcid: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4457-6581
- name: Takeshi Ueki
  role: author
  orcid: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9317-6280

## Contact agent



## Publisher

organization: Wiley

## Managing organization



## Keyword

- subject: ionic liquids
  schema: not_defined
- subject: polymer gels
  schema: not_defined
- subject: block copolymers
  schema: not_defined
- subject: cell culturing
  schema: not_defined
- subject: mechanobiology
  schema: not_defined
- subject: stimuli-responsive polymers
  schema: not_defined

## Rights

- identifier: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

## Other identifier(s)



## Data origin



## Embargo



## Journal

- title: Macromolecular Rapid Communications
  issn: '10221336'
  volume: '47'
  issue: '7'
  article_number: e00909

## Conference



## Related item



## Funding

- identifier: 22KJ010202
  funder_name: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
- identifier: 23H02030
  funder_name: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
- identifier: 23K17481
  funder_name: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science

## Instrument



## Instrument operator



## Instrument managing organization



## Measurement method



## Specimen



## Chemical composition



## Structure for specimen



## Structural feature for specimen



## Specific property for specimen



## Process for specimen treatment



## Computational method



## Energy level/transition state



## Software



## Custom property



## Fileset

- id: 3c15c44e-dbba-426e-90e3-d59e4ebbc793
  filename: 260406_Macromolecular Rapid Communications - 2026 - Saruwatari - Toward
    Dynamic Liquid Cell Scaffold  Photoreversible Ion Gels.pdf
  content_type: application/pdf
  size: 2292159
  md5: 407a61e6bea131905ffe00ddaa4eb749

## Thumbnail

fileset_id: 3c15c44e-dbba-426e-90e3-d59e4ebbc793
filename: 260406_Macromolecular Rapid Communications - 2026 - Saruwatari - Toward
  Dynamic Liquid Cell Scaffold  Photoreversible Ion Gels.pdf