Acrylate end-capped poly(ester-carbonate) and poly(ether-ester)s for polymer-on-multielectrode array devices:...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Developing advanced polymeric materials is crucial for biomedical applications, particularly for neural interfaces.
• Polymer-on-multielectrode (PoM) devices require materials with specific properties like biocompatibility and processability.
• Copolymers offer tunable properties compared to homopolymers, enabling tailored material design.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize novel copolymers based on epsilon-caprolactone (CL), 1,5-dioxepan-2-one (DXO), and trimethylene carbonate (TMC).
• To evaluate these copolymers as potential materials for polymer-on-multielectrode (PoM) applications.
• To assess the biocompatibility and cell interaction of the synthesized polymeric films.

Main Methods:

• Ring-opening polymerization of CL with DXO or TMC using tin(II) catalysis to form random copolymer diols.
• Functionalization of copolymer diols with acryloyl chloride to yield diacrylate end-capped copolymers.
• Characterization using NMR, IR, MALDI-ToF MS, DSC, and ATR-FTIR spectroscopy.
• Preparation and UV-curing of thin films, followed by in vitro assessment of neural stem cell proliferation and differentiation.

Main Results:

• Successful synthesis of low molecular weight random copoly(ether-ester) and copoly(ester-carbonate) diols and their diacrylate derivatives.
• Demonstration of photocross-linking capabilities and formation of transparent, soft thin films.
• Significant biocompatibility observed, supporting in vitro neural stem cell proliferation and differentiation.
• Beneficial effects of cell-culture medium preconditioning noted, with CL-TMC copolymers showing excellent properties.
• Preliminary evidence of microchannel formation via photocuring.

Conclusions:

• Synthesized CL-DXO and CL-TMC copolymers are suitable candidates for polymer-on-multielectrode (PoM) applications.
• The resulting polymeric films exhibit excellent biocompatibility and support neural cell development.
• The CL-TMC copolymer demonstrates particularly promising characteristics for neural interface technologies.
• Photocuring enables the formation of functional structures, including microchannels, from these novel polymers.