New biodegradable hydrogels based on a photocrosslinkable modified polyaspartamide: synthesis and characterization

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Hydrogel Engineering

Background:

• alpha,beta-Poly(N-2-hydroxyethyl)-DL-aspartamide (PHEA) is a biocompatible, water-soluble polymer.
• Derivatization of PHEA with glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) introduces reactive double bonds and ester groups.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize novel hydrogels (PHG) from PHEA and GMA.
• To investigate the crosslinking, swelling, and degradation properties of the resulting hydrogels.
• To evaluate the impact of UV irradiation and crosslinking agents on hydrogel formation and properties.

Main Methods:

• PHEA derivatization with GMA to form PHG copolymer (29 mol% GMA).
• UV-induced crosslinking of PHG aqueous solutions (30-70 mg/ml) with and without N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide (BIS) at λ 254 nm.
• Characterization using FT-IR, 1H-NMR, swelling measurements, and in vitro hydrolysis studies (pH 1, pH 10, esterase, pepsin, alpha-chymotrypsin).

Main Results:

• Compact gel phases formed from PHG solutions at concentrations ≥ 50 mg/ml.
• PHG hydrogels demonstrated high water affinity across various pH values.
• Partial degradation observed under acidic/alkaline conditions and enzymatic treatment (esterase, pepsin, alpha-chymotrypsin).
• Irradiation time influenced hydrogel yield and properties.

Conclusions:

• UV-crosslinked PHG hydrogels are successfully synthesized.
• The developed hydrogels possess favorable swelling characteristics and tunable biodegradability.
• These findings highlight the potential of PHG hydrogels in biomedical and other applications requiring water-compatible, degradable networks.