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Water Diffusion and Uptake in Injectable ETTMP/PEGDA Hydrogels
Paige N Rockwell1, James E Maneval1, Brandon M Vogel1
1Department of Chemical Engineering, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania 17837, United States.
The Journal of Physical Chemistry. B
|May 26, 2023
Summary
This study characterized water in ethoxylated trimethylolpropane tri-3-mercaptopropionate (ETTMP) and poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) hydrogels. Higher polymer content reduced freezable water and increased bound water, impacting swelling behavior.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
- Biomaterials Engineering
Background:
- Hydrogels are crucial in biomedical applications, and their water content significantly influences their properties.
- Understanding water's state (freezable vs. nonfreezable) and mobility within hydrogels is key to predicting performance.
- Ethoxylated trimethylolpropane tri-3-mercaptopropionate (ETTMP) and poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) hydrogels are promising biomaterials.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the water within ETTMP/PEGDA hydrogels using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and pulsed field gradient spin echo nuclear magnetic resonance (PFGSE NMR).
- To quantify freezable and nonfreezable water fractions and measure water diffusion coefficients.
- To correlate hydrogel composition with water behavior and equilibrium water content (EWC).
Main Methods:
- Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) to quantify freezable and nonfreezable water.
- Pulsed Field Gradient Spin Echo Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (PFGSE NMR) to measure water diffusion coefficients.
- Swelling studies to determine Equilibrium Water Content (EWC) at physiological temperatures.
Main Results:
- No freezable water was detected in hydrogels with polymer mass fractions of 0.68 and higher.
- Water diffusion coefficients decreased with increasing polymer content, indicating increased water binding.
- Both DSC and NMR showed a decreasing ratio of bound/nonfreezable water per polymer mass as polymer content increased.
- ETTMP/PEGDA hydrogels at polymer mass fractions of 0.25 and 0.375 reached EWC at 30 and 37 °C, respectively.
Conclusions:
- The polymer content in ETTMP/PEGDA hydrogels critically affects water's freezable fraction and mobility.
- Higher polymer concentrations lead to more bound water and reduced diffusion, influencing hydrogel swelling.
- Specific ETTMP/PEGDA compositions demonstrate suitable EWC for physiological conditions, indicating potential for biomedical applications.
