Preparation and characterization of novel physically cross-linked hydrogels composed of poly(vinyl alcohol) and amine-terminated polyamidoamine dendrimer.
Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers are water-soluble, biocompatible and biodegradable polymers, which have been widely applied in biomedical fields. In this paper, novel physically cross-linked hydrogels composed of PVA and amine-terminated PAMAM dendrimer G6-NH(2) were prepared by cyclic freezing/thawing treatment of aqueous solutions containing PVA and G6-NH(2). The FT-IR analysis and elemental analysis indicated that PAMAM dendrimer G6-NH(2) was successfully introduced into the formed hydrogels, possibly via hydrogen bonds among hydroxyl groups, amide groups and amino groups in PVA and PAMAM dendrimer in the process of freezing-thawing cycle. Compared with physically cross-linked PVA hydrogel, PVA/G6-NH(2) hydrogels show higher swelling ratios and faster re-swelling rate due to the higher hydrophilicity of PAMAM dendrimer G6-NH(2). Higher contents of G6-NH(2) in PVA/G6-NH(2) hydrogels resulted in higher swelling ratios and faster re-swelling rates. With increasing freezing/thawing cyclic times, the swelling ratios and re-swelling rates of PVA/G6-NH(2) hydrogels decreased, which is similar to that of physically cross-linked PVA hydrogel. Combining the special host property of polyamidoamine dendrimer, these novel physically cross-linked hydrogels are expected to have potential use in drug delivery, including improving drug-loading amounts in hydrogels and prolonging drug release time. Swelling ratios of physically cross-linked PVA/G6-NH(2)-50 hydrogels prepared by three, six, nine freezing/thawing cycles. The swelling equilibrium experiments were carried out in distilled water at 25 degrees C.
Key Laboratory of Biomedical Polymers (Wuhan University), Ministry of Education; Department of Chemistry, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, P. R. China.
Xu-Ye
XY
Wu
Shi-Wen
SW
Huang
Jian-Tao
JT
Zhang
Ren-Xi
RX
Zhuo
D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry; D020100:Hydrogels / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008422:Materials Testing; D009757:Nylons / Q000737:chemistry*; D011073:Polyamines / Q000737:chemistry*; D011142:Polyvinyl Alcohol / Q000737:chemistry*
D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents; D020100:Hydrogels; D009757:Nylons; D011073:Polyamines; D011142:Polyvinyl Alcohol