Synthesis and properties of siloxane-containing hybrid hydrogels with alpha,omega-functionalized macromers

Siloxane-containing transparent hybrid hydrogels, coupled with high oxygen permeability and moderate equilibrium water content (EWC), were successfully obtained through free radical bulk copolymerization of hydrophobic and hydrophilic monomers. Due to obvious incompatibility of hydrophobic tris(trimethylsiloxy)-3-methacrryloxypropylsilane (TRIS) and hydrophilic 2-hydroxyehtyl methacrylate (HEMA) or N-vinyl pyrrolidone (NVP) monomers, alpha,omega-methacrylate terminated poly(dimethyl siloxane) (PDMS) macromer was employed as a compatibilizer in the formulations, resulting in high optical transmittance (> 90% at 400 nm) of the hybrid hydrogels. Although properties such as EWC and oxygen permeability of the hybrid hydrogels could be tailored over a wide range, the formulations with the PDMS macromer could not increase both EWC and oxygen permeability of the hybrid hydrogels without sacrificing one of them. For controlling these two properties simultaneously, an amphiphilic alpha,omega-methacrylate terminated PEO-PDMS-PEO triblock copolymer was synthesized as a surface-active macromer, and showed its usefulness in controlling phase separation and improving oxygen permeability and EWC, at the same time, of the hybrid hydrogels.