Abstract:
Standard hydrogels prepared by free radical polymerization (FRP) have heterogeneous structures with a wide mesh size distribution, which affect their mechanical and separation properties. Recent research has identified four-armed poly(ethylene glycol) (tetra-PEG) as a solution to this problem. tetra-PEG gels with a homogeneous network can be prepared and applied as high-strength gels and cell-culture substrates by reacting two types of tetra-PEG with different reactive groups at the ends. In this study, we report a photoresponsive tetra-PEG that undergoes a phase transition from a sol to a gel state in response to light. tetra-PEGs containing cinnamoyl and maleimide groups at the ends of the four-armed chains were found to gel when exposed to light. The effects of polymer concentration and light irradiation time on the gelation of tetra-PEG containing photodimerization groups were investigated. The results showed that the elastic modulus of the gel increased with the increase in the light irradiation time.
摘要:
通过自由基聚合(FRP)制备的标准水凝胶具有宽网眼尺寸分布的异质结构,影响它们的机械和分离性能。最近的研究已经确定了四臂聚(乙二醇)(四-PEG)作为该问题的解决方案。通过使两种类型的四PEG与末端的不同反应基团反应,可以制备具有均匀网络的四PEG凝胶并用作高强度凝胶和细胞培养基质。在这项研究中,我们报道了一种光响应性的tetra-PEG,它在光的作用下经历了从溶胶到凝胶状态的相变。发现在四臂链末端含有肉桂酰基和马来酰亚胺基团的四PEG在暴露于光时凝胶化。研究了聚合物浓度和光照时间对含有四PEG的光二聚基团的凝胶化的影响。结果表明,凝胶的弹性模量随着光照时间的增加而增加。