Abstract
Graft copolymers of poly (ethylene glycol) with poly(methacrylic acid) were prepared by reaction of poly(ethylene glycol) methacrylate macromonomer with methacrylic acid in the presence of tetraethylene glycol dimethacrylate as a crosslinking agent. The materials were swollen in aqueous solutions with the pH ranging from 1.5 to 12.0. Dynamic swelling studies were performed. The swelling rates were lowest in copolymer networks with 1:1 ratios of ethylene oxide to methacrylic acid. These results were attributed to the combined effects of diffusion and complex dissociation during swelling. Solute release studies were carried out to investigate the effect of pH and swelling on the release behavior. Lowest solute release rates were observed in complex-forming networks, verifying the relationship between complexation, swelling and solute permeability.
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