Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40263273›Full record

ArticleNature communications2025

Molecular-level insights into the supramolecular gelation mechanism of urea derivative.

Shinya Kimura, Kurea Adachi, Yoshiki Ishii, Tomoki Komiyama, Takuho Saito, Naofumi Nakayama, Masashi Yokoya, Hikaru Takaya, Shiki Yagai, Shinnosuke Kawai and 2 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Free-Standing Supramolecular Pyridine N-Oxide-Silver(I) Metallogels.Advanced materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.) · 2025
    Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Shinya KimuraMeiji Pharmaceutical University, Kiyose, Tokyo, Japan. s-kimura@my-pharm.ac.jp.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3451-1389
Kurea AdachiMeiji Pharmaceutical University, Kiyose, Tokyo, Japan.
Yoshiki IshiiDepartment of Physics and Institute for Glyco-core Research (iGCORE), Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan.
Tomoki KomiyamaMeiji Pharmaceutical University, Kiyose, Tokyo, Japan.
Takuho SaitoDivision of Advanced Science and Engineering, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5941-6006
Naofumi NakayamaCONFLEX Corporation, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1316-1861
Masashi YokoyaMeiji Pharmaceutical University, Kiyose, Tokyo, Japan.
Hikaru TakayaDepartment of Life Science, Faculty of Life & Environmental Sciences, Teikyo University of Science, Adachi-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
Shiki YagaiDepartment of Applied Chemistry and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan. yagai@faculty.chiba-u.jp.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4786-8603
Shinnosuke KawaiDepartment of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Shizuoka University, Shizuoka, Japan. sskawai@shizuoka.ac.jp.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8813-0253
Takayuki UchihashiDepartment of Physics and Institute for Glyco-core Research (iGCORE), Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan. uchihast@d.phys.nagoya-u.ac.jp.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0263-5312
Masamichi YamanakaMeiji Pharmaceutical University, Kiyose, Tokyo, Japan.

Funding

MEXT | Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) 17H06373MEXT | Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) 17H06374MEXT | Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) 18H04512MEXT | Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) 20H04669MEXT | Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) 21J20988MEXT | Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) 21K05105MEXT | Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) 21K06485MEXT | Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) 23H04873MEXT | Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) 23K14327MEXT | Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) 24H01729MEXT | JST | Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology (CREST) JPMJCR21L2
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Despite being a promising soft material embodied by molecular self-assembly, the formation mechanism of supramolecular gels remains challenging to fully understand. Here we provide molecular to nanoscopic insights into the formation mechanism of gel-forming fibers from a urea derivative. High-speed atomic force microscopy of the urea derivative revealed the presence of a lag phase prior to the formation of supramolecular fibers, suggesting a nucleation process. The fiber growth kinetics differ at both termini of the fiber, indicating a directional hydrogen-bonding motif by the urea units, which is supported by single-crystal X-ray crystallography of a reference compound. Moreover, we observed an intermittent growth pattern of the fibers with repeated elongation and pause phases. This unique behavior can be simulated by a theoretical block-stacking model. A statistical analysis of the concentration-dependent lag time on macroscopic observation of the gelation suggests the presence of a tetrameric or octameric nucleus of the urea molecules.

Identifiers

PMID40263273
PMCPMC12015314

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.