Abstract
Preparation of poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) based nanocomposites using different approaches such as synthesis with water as the porogen, filling of polymer matrix by silica and formation of interpenetrating polymer networks with polyurethane was demonstrated. Incorporation of various biologically active compounds (BAC) such as metronidazole, decamethoxin, zinc sulphate, silver nitrate or amino acids glycine and tryptophan into nanocomposites was achieved. BAC were introduced into the polymer matrix either (1) directly, or (2) with a solution of colloidal silica, or (3) through immobilization on silica (sol-densil). Morphology of prepared materials was investigated by laser scanning microscopy and low-vacuum scanning electron microscopy. In vacuum freeze-drying, prior imaging was proposed for improving visualization of the porous structure of composites. The interaction between PHEMA matrix and silica filler was investigated by IR spectroscopy. Adsorption of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate and BAC from aqueous solution on the silica surface was also examined. Phase composition and thermal stability of composites were studied by the differential thermogravimetry/differential thermal analysis. Release of BAC into water medium from prepared composites were shown to depend on the synthetic method and differed significantly. Obtained PHEMA-base materials which are characterized by controlled release of BAC have a strong potential for application in manufacturing of different surgical devices like implants, catheters and drainages.
Highlights
Hydrogels based on poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) are interesting for application in medicine due to their chemical, biochemical and hydrolytic stability [1], high permeability for oxygen and water-soluble compounds, including metabolites, through the polymer network [2, 3], their shape stability and biocompatibility [4]
The matrix structure based on PU and interpenetrating networks (IPN) 83%PU/17%PHEMA after exposure to water remained almost unchanged
To study the structure of non-transparent materials based on PHEMA synthesized with water as a porogen, the SEM microscopy was used
Summary
Hydrogels based on poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) are interesting for application in medicine due to their chemical, biochemical and hydrolytic stability [1], high permeability for oxygen and water-soluble compounds, including metabolites, through the polymer network [2, 3], their shape stability and biocompatibility [4]. There is a high variety of established methods for the synthesis of PHEMA hydrogels, such as copolymerization [6], radiation-initiated polimerzation [7] and radical polymerization by atom transfer [8], etc. They lead to the formation of the cross-linked networks or intertwined linear homopolymers, linear copolymers or semi-interpenetrating networks (IPN) [9]. In terms of the soluble substance diffusion through obtained gels [11], they are generally classified as (1) “microporous” with a pore size in the range of 10–50 nm and (2) “macroporous”—with pores from 100 to 1000 nm or even bigger Convection in these materials gradually becomes the dominant mechanism for the transport of substances. Transparency is gradually lost with the formation of “white” gels, which are classified as heterogeneous hydrogels or sponges
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