title: Injectable hydrogels from segmented PEG-bisurea copolymers.
abstract: We describe the preparation of an injectable, biocompatible, and elastic segmented copolymer hydrogel for biomedical applications, with segmented hydrophobic bisurea hard segments and hydrophilic PEG segments. The segmented copolymers were obtained by the step growth polymerization of amino-terminated PEG and aliphatic diisocyanate. Due to their capacity for multiple hydrogen bonding within the hydrophobic segments, these copolymers can form highly stable gels in water at low concentrations. Moreover, the gels show shear thinning by a factor of 40 at large strain, which allows injection through narrow gauge needles. Hydrogel moduli are highly tunable via the physical cross-link density and the length of the hydrophilic segments. In particular, the mechanical properties can be optimized to match the properties of biological host tissues such as muscle tissue and the extracellular matrix.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Macromolecular and Organic Chemistry, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Gajanan M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Pawar
authors.forename: Marcel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Koenigs
authors.forename: Zahra
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Fahimi
authors.forename: Martijn
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cox
authors.forename: Ilja K
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Voets
authors.forename: Hans M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Wyss
authors.forename: Rint P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Sijbesma
mesh_terms: D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry*; D001736:Biureas / Q000737:chemistry; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002470:Cell Survival; D006801:Humans; D020100:Hydrogels / Q000138:chemical synthesis*; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D007267:Injections; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force / Q000379:methods; D058628:Myofibroblasts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000737:chemistry; D011108:Polymers / Q000138:chemical synthesis*; D012212:Rheology / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D001736:Biureas; D020100:Hydrogels; D011108:Polymers; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols