Abstract
Through the control of the molecular weight, water content and monomer concentration, polyethylene glycol dimethacrylate (PEGDMA) based hydrogels have been adapted for numerous applications, including as structural scaffolds, drug delivery vehicles and cell carriers. However, due to the low biodegradability rates, the use of PEGDMA in tissue engineering has been limited. Thiol-based monomers have been shown to improve the degradation rates of several PEG-based hydrogels, though their impact on several material properties has not been as well defined. In this work, several mercaptopropianoates, as well as mercaptoacetates, were mixed with PEGDMA and copolymerized. Following an initial polymerization check, it was determined that mercaptoacetate-based thiol monomers did not polymerize in the presence of PEGDMA, whereas mercaptopropionates were more successful. The wettability, and the compressive and tensile strength, in addition to the thermal properties, were determined for successfully copolymerized samples via a combination of differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic mechanical analysis, unconfined compression, and goniometry. Further study determined that dipentaerythritol hexa(3–mercaptopropionate) (DiPETMP) successfully enhanced the biodegradability of PEGDMA.
Highlights
Tissue engineering is a multidisciplinary field, wherein the combination of growth factors, scaffolds and cell encapsulation allows for the replication of properties found in a tissue or organ present within the body
Through the control of its molecular weight (Mw ), water content and monomer concentration, the properties of polyethylene glycol dimethacrylate (PEGDMA) can be altered to suit multiple tissue engineering applications ranging from tissue scaffolds to drug delivery vehicles to cell carriers [2,3]
Following 10 min of UV exposure, it was found that three thiol-ene combinations produced a hydrogel: pentaerythritol tetra–(3–mercaptopropionate) (PETMP), dipentaerythritol hexa(3–mercaptopropionate) (DiPETMP) and glycol di(3–mercaptopropionate) (GDMP)
Summary
Tissue engineering is a multidisciplinary field, wherein the combination of growth factors, scaffolds and cell encapsulation allows for the replication of properties found in a tissue or organ present within the body. There have been many hydrogels of both synthetic and natural origins employed for tissue engineering scaffolds, and there are advantages and disadvantages to both options. Polyethylene dimethacrylate (PEGDMA) is a synthetic polymer that has seen increasing use over the past 25 years and is advantageous for tissue engineering due to the degree of control that can be exerted over its properties. Through the control of its molecular weight (Mw ), water content and monomer concentration, the properties of PEGDMA can be altered to suit multiple tissue engineering applications ranging from tissue scaffolds to drug delivery vehicles to cell carriers [2,3]. As degradation of biomaterial scaffolds is a critical factor in successful tissue regeneration, it is imperative for the degradation rate to be a prime consideration.
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