{
  "abstract": "The self-assembly of associative triblock copolymers composed of a central hydrophilic elastin-like polypeptide (ELP) block and short fatty acid end groups (C16) was investigated in aqueous solution. In one system, the ELP contains 80 pentapeptide units (C16-80-C16), whereas in the other two C16-ELP40 chains were oxidatively coupled through their terminal cysteine residues to form a central disulfide bond, yielding C16-(40)2-C16. Despite their nearly identical molecular weights and compositions, the two polymers exhibit markedly different self-assembly behaviors. C16-80-C16 forms large hydrophobic aggregates that remain kinetically trapped and do not develop a dynamically connected network. In contrast, C16-(40)2-C16 forms very small associative nodes with an aggregation number of only ∼3 chains. These nodes coexist with larger clusters and become dynamically interconnected at higher concentrations, leading to transparent hydrogels at concentrations as low as 2.5 wt %. Oscillatory rheology reveals a transient Maxwell network governed by a single relaxation process associated with the reversible association of the C16 end groups. SAXS, light scattering, cryo-TEM, and molecular modeling consistently support a model in which the central disulfide junction promotes transient network formation.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": "2608.19810",
  "author_total": 9,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "Tingting Zhang"
    },
    {
      "name": "Jean-François Le Meins"
    },
    {
      "name": "Jean-Paul Chapel"
    },
    {
      "name": "Saron Catak"
    },
    {
      "name": "Guillaume Goudounet"
    },
    {
      "name": "Olivier Sandre"
    },
    {
      "name": "Nadia Mahmoudi"
    },
    {
      "name": "Christophe Schatz"
    },
    {
      "name": "Bertrand Garbay"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/c08sq7ermea4p.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1021/acsmacrolett.6c00338",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "c08sq7ermea4p",
  "issns": [
    "2161-1653"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://u-bordeaux.hal.science/hal-05717870v2",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY-SA-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-SA 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "hal",
      "0.phys"
    ],
    [
      "hal",
      "1.phys.cond"
    ],
    [
      "hal",
      "2.phys.cond.cm-scm"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "2502|Supramolecular Self-Assembly in Materials"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7202271869",
  "pdf_url": "https://u-bordeaux.hal.science/hal-05717870/document",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-08-12",
  "publisher": "Washington, D.C : American Chemical Society",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/c08sq7ermea4p.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:17:24Z",
      "native_id": "hal-05717870",
      "source": "hal",
      "url": "https://u-bordeaux.hal.science/hal-05717870v2"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "physics",
      "origin": "hal:1.phys.cond",
      "subfield": "condensed-matter"
    }
  ],
  "title": "A Central Disulfide Junction Drives Transient Network Formation in Elastin-Like Polypeptides, Enabling Low-Concentration Hydrogels",
  "title_text": "A Central Disulfide Junction Drives Transient Network Formation in Elastin-Like Polypeptides, Enabling Low-Concentration Hydrogels",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:17:24Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/c08sq7ermea4p",
  "venue": "ACS Macro Letters",
  "versions": []
}