Temperature responsive hydrogels based on ethylene glycol propylene glycol "block" units with VPTT close to human body temperature

Abstract

New hydrogels based on different oligo(alkylene glycol) methacrylate (OAGMA) with inverse thermo-response and volume phase transition temperature (VPTT) close to human body temperature were investigated in this work. Synthesis was performed from monomer-solvent mixture by gamma radiation; four different OAGMA (EG6MA, EG6PG3MA, EG3PG6MA and PG5MA) were used. The main focus was made on hydrogels based on EGxPGy pendant chains with different number of ethylene glycol and propylene glycol units in “block” backbone since in the case of POPGMA and POEGMA homopolimers (e.g. hydrogels with pure PG and EG pedant chains) the VPTTs were observed far below and far above the human body temperature, respectively. Characterisation of the hydrogels was performed by swelling, UV-Vis, FTIR, SEM, DSC and in vitro biocompatibility investigations. Due to the possibility to combined VPTT close to human body temperature with good biocompatibility, new hydrogels based on EGPG “block” pedant chains show great potential for biomedical applications.