The effect of polymer composition on the gelation behavior of PLGA-g-PEG biodegradable thermoreversible gels
B J Tarasevich1, A Gutowska, X S Li
1Pacific Northwest National Laboratory-Materials Science, Richland, Washington 99352, USA. bjtarasevich@pnl.gov
Abstract:
Graft copolymers consisting of a poly(D,L-lactic acid-co-glycolic acid) backbone grafted with polyethylene glycol side chains were synthesized and formed thermoreversible gels in aqueous solutions that exhibited solution behavior at low temperature and sol-to-gel transitions at higher temperature. The composition of the polymer and relative amounts of polylactic acid, glycolic acid, and ethylene glycol were varied by controlling the precursor concentrations and reaction temperature. The gelation temperature could be systematically tailored from 15 to 34 degrees C by increasing the concentration of polyethylene glycol in the graft copolymer. The gelation temperature also depended on the polymer molecular weight and concentration. This work has importance for the development of water soluble gels with tailored compositions and gelation temperatures for use in tissue engineering and as injectable depots for drug delivery.
More Related Videos
15:33Microwave-assisted Functionalization of Poly(ethylene glycol) and On-resin Peptides for Use in Chain Polymerizations and Hydrogel Formation
Published on: October 29, 2013
11:32Characteristics of Precipitation-formed Polyethylene Glycol Microgels Are Controlled by Molecular Weight of Reactants
Published on: December 23, 2013
Related Concept Videos
Polymer Classification: Stereospecificity
Polymer Classification: Architecture
Step-Growth Polymerization: Overview
Many natural and synthetic polymers are produced by...
