Amphiphilic hydrogels

Zhu C, Hard C, Lin C, Gitsov I. Novel materials for bioanalytical and biomedical applications environmental response and binding/telease capabilities of amphiphilic hydrogels with shape-persistent dendritic junctions. J Polym Sci Part A Polym Chem 2005 43 4017-4029. 

Missirks D, Tirelli N, Hubbell JA (2005) Amphiphilic hydrogel nanoparticles. Preparation, characterization, and preliminary assessment as new colloidal drug carriers. Langmuir 21 2605—2613. 

Other novel mixed polymer systems have included glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) modified with multiblock copolymers to form self-assembling, crosslinker free hydrogels. For example, aminooxy pluronic derivatives were coupled with HA to give amphiphilic hydrogels with the ability to bind to hydrophobic surfaces (89). 

FIGURE 54.24 Illustration of preparation for microgels of PEO-fc-PPO-fc-PEO via inverse emulsion polymerization. (Reprinted with permission from Langmuir, 21(6), Missirlis, D., Tirelli, N., and Hubbell, J.A., Amphiphilic hydrogel nanoparticles. Preparation, characterization, and preliminary assessment as new colloidal drug carriers, 2605. Copyright 2005 American Chemical Society.)... 

Homenick, C.M., De Silveira, G., Sheardown, H., Adronov, A., 2011. Pluronics as crossUnking agents for collagen novel amphiphilic hydrogels. Polymer Interface 60, 458—465. 

Homenick CM, de Silveira G, Sheardown H, Adronov A (2011). Pluronics as crosslinking agents for collagen Novel amphiphilic hydrogels. Polym Int, 60,458-465. 

It is demonstrated that amphiphilic di- and triblock copolymers can be obtained by sequential anionic polymerization of tBMA and FMA. A selective transformation of the tBMA block into the respective Na salt of the methacrylic acid is possible. Various experimental methods indicate the nanophase separation in bulk. Micelles formed in water were observed by TEM and dynamic light scattering. Gold colloids added to the amphiphilic hydrogels are coated with the FMA block. Intermicellar associations as inchcation for the onset of formation of amphiphilic networks were observed by viscosity measurements. 

Amphiphilic Hydrogels with Highly Ordered Hydrophobic Dendritic Domains... 

The goal of this study is to explore the synthesis of amphiphilic hydrogels using telechelic PEG and surface-ftinctionalized poly(benzyl ether) dendrimers. The networks formed should have randomly distributed linear (hydrophilic) and globular (hydrophobic) segments, but with precisely engineered size and chemical composition of both components. 

Synthesis of the hydrogels. The formation of the amphiphilic hydrogels is achieved by a surface-to-surface connection of the dendritic fragments. The synthetic strategy is based on the interaction of two macromolecules - a hydrophilic linear PEG with reactive groups at the extremities of the chain and a hydrophobic dendritic poly(benzyl ether) with reactive sites placed at the periphery (surface) of the molecule, Scheme 2. 

Our preliminary results show that poly(benzyl ether) dendrimers with different functional groups at the periphery can be successfully applied in the construction of amphiphilic hydrogels with highly organized hydrophobic junctions. Their swelling behavior is affected by the polarity of the medium, the relative content of the PEG and the temperature. The binding properties towards various substrates in different media are currently under investigation. 

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