Novel photopolymerizable biodegradable triblock polymers for tissue engineering scaffolds: synthesis and characterization.
For use in micro-patterned scaffolds in tissue engineering, novel diacrylated triblock macromers (PLA-b-PCL-b-PLA, PGA-b-PCL-b-PGA and PCL-b-PEO-b-PCL) were synthesized and characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). All diacrylated polymers were designed as triblock copolymers and involved biodegradable blocks of relatively non-polar epsilon-caprolactone (CL) and polar monomers such as glycolide (GA), lactide (LA) or ethylene oxide (EO). All triblock polymers were prepared in molecular weights of a few kilo daltons via the anionic ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of the corresponding lactide, glycolide or caprolactone using stannous octoate [Sn(Oct)(2)] as catalyst. The polymers had low polydispersity indices, ranging from 1.23 to 1.56. Biodegradable polymeric networks were prepared with conversions of 72-84% via photopolymerization of the triblock diacrylated polymers with 2,2-dimethoxy-2-phenylacetophenone (DMPA) as photoinitiator. PLA-b-PCL-b-PLA copolymers crumbled easily and were not suitable for micro-patterning. PGA-b-PCL-b-PGA copolymers had higher water contact angles than PCL-b-PEO-b-PCL and were also cytocompatible with Fibroblasts 3T3.
The Biological & Chemical Process Engineering Laboratory, School of Mechanical & Production Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore. mbchan@ntu.edu.sg
Mary B
MB
Chan-Park
Ai P
AP
Zhu
Jin Y
JY
Shen
Ai L
AL
Fan
D016475:3T3 Cells; D000818:Animals; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D003470:Culture Media; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D051379:Mice; D008970:Molecular Weight; D011108:Polymers / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry; D013499:Surface Properties; D023822:Tissue Engineering
D003470:Culture Media; D011108:Polymers