Synthesis and in Vitro Cytocompatibility of Segmented Poly(Ester-Urethane)s and Poly(Ester-Urea-Urethane)s for Bone...

Area of Science:

• Polymer Science
• Biomaterials Engineering
• Materials Science

Background:

• Segmented polyurethanes are versatile polymers with tunable properties.
• Investigating novel chain extenders is crucial for developing advanced polyurethane materials.
• Understanding structure-property relationships is key for biomaterial applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize two series of segmented polyurethanes using different chain extenders.
• To evaluate the influence of hard segment chemistry on mechanical, thermal, and degradation properties.
• To assess the in vitro cytotoxicity and cell adhesion of the developed polyurethanes.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of poly-ester-urethanes (PEUs) and poly-ester-urea-urethanes (PEUUs) using distinct chain extenders.
• Mechanical testing (strain, hardness), thermal analysis (DSC, XRD), and hydrolytic degradation studies in PBS.
• In vitro cytotoxicity assays using a Human Osteoblastic cell line (Hob).

Main Results:

• Varying hard segment chemistry significantly altered thermal and mechanical properties.
• PEUs exhibited higher strain and hardness compared to PEUUs due to enhanced phase segregation and crystallinity.
• Both PEU and PEUU series showed approximately 20% weight loss after 90 days of degradation and maintained over 80% cell viability with good cell adhesion.

Conclusions:

• The choice of chain extender critically influences the properties of segmented polyurethanes.
• Developed polyurethanes exhibit promising biodegradability and biocompatibility for potential biomedical applications.
• These materials offer tunable properties for tailored biomaterial design.