Enzymatic hydrolysis-induced degradation of a lactose-coupled supramolecular hydrogel.

Amphiphilic urea 1 with a hydrophilic lactose group was prepared as a low-molecular-weight hydrogelator, which formed a transparent supramolecular hydrogel. Enzymatic hydrolysis of the lactose moiety using ß-galactosidase allowed a gel-to-sol phase transition of the supramolecular hydrogel. A ß-galactosidase inhibitor enables us to control the time course of this phase transition.