Application Properties of Stimuli-Responsive Polyglycerol Hydrogels |
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Authors: | Somaieh Salehpour Marc A Dubé |
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Institution: | Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Center for Catalysis Research and Innovation , University of Ottawa , Ottawa , Canada |
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Abstract: | Transient state swelling behavior and swelling kinetics of novel stimuli-responsive polyglycerol hydrogels were studied at 293, 310 and 333 K. Depending on temperature, Fickian or anomalous diffusion behavior was observed. Mechanical properties of the hydrogels in the swollen and dry states were investigated and the average molecular weight between crosslinks was calculated. To assess the potential for biodegradation of hydrogels, initial swelling behavior in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) solution and mass loss profiles as a function of degradation time were investigated over a period of 30 days. All swelling behavior, mechanical properties and degradations were clearly affected by the degree of cross-linking. The hydrophilicity and biodegradability of polyglycerol hydrogels make them suitable for pharmaceutical, biomedical and biotechnological applications. They could potentially serve as a substitute for common fossil-based hydrogels such as poly(ethylene glycol) and poly(vinyl alcohol) hydrogels. |
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Keywords: | Polyglycerol hydrogel glycerol stimuli-responsive mechanical properties biodegradation diffusion model |
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