Enhancing hydrophilicity and protein resistance of silicone hydrogels by plasma induced grafting with hydrophilic polymers

<正>The hydrophilicity of silicone hydrogels used as soft corneal contact lens plays an important role in wearing comfort.In order to enhance hydrophilicity and protein resistance,silicone hydrogel membranes were modified by atmospheric pressure glow discharge plasma(APGDP) induced surface graft polymerization of N-vinyl pyrrolidone(NVP) and poly(oligoethylene glycol methyl ether methacrylate)(PEGMA) in this paper.XPS analysis demonstrated the success of graft polymerization of NVP and PEGMA onto the surface of silicone hydrogel membranes.The hydrophilicity of silicone hydrogels was characterized by the measurement of water contact angle(WCA).The result showed that NVP grafted silicone hydrogel has the WCA of about 68°and PEGMA grafted silicone hydrogel has the lowest WCA of about 62°,while the pristine silicone hydrogel is hydrophobic with the WCA of about 103°.Protein resistance of silicone hydrogels was investigated by the method of bicinchoninic acid assay using bovine serum albumin(BSA) as a model.It's found that the grafted silicone hydrogel has a significant improvement of protein resistance,and PEGMA grafting is more efficient for the reduction of protein adsorption than NVP grafting.The silicone hydrogel membranes grafted with NVP and PEGMA are good candidates of soft corneal contact lenses.     

Preparation and characterization of hyaluronate-hydroxyethyl acrylate blend hydrogel for controlled release device

Hyaluronate-hydroxyethyl acrylate blend hydrogels were investigated as matrices for controlled release devices. Glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) derivatized HA (GMA-HA) was synthesized by coupling of GMA to HA in the presence of a suitable catalyst. These hydrogels were prepared by a free radical copolymerization of GMA-HA and hydroxyethyl acrylate. The water content of these hydrogels at equilibrium swelling in water (Ww) was 0.978+/-0.0073 (n=18); however, these hydrogel was mechanically tough and could be used as disk shape. The hydrogels swelling were found to depend on ionic strength and pH. The dried hydrogels quickly regained their original condition in water, and they swelled to more than 90% of its initial water contents after 30 min. This swelling-deswelling behavior was reproducible. The release of chlorpromazine HCl as a model cationic drug from the gels was suppressed significantly in water. The release increased with increasing the ionic strength and decreasing pH of bulk solutions.     

PVP/CHI交联共混水凝胶的pH敏感性研究

制备戊二醛交联的PVP/CH I共混水凝胶,红外光谱佐证了凝胶网络的生成。pH敏感性实验表明,凝胶的溶胀率在pH=1.0的介质中最大,在pH=4.0的介质中次之,在中性或pH=9.0的碱性介质中最低,表明凝胶具有明显的pH敏感性。CH I含量、交联剂用量、CH I脱乙酰度均对凝胶的pH敏感性有影响,CH I含量40%、交联剂用量0.3%、CH I脱乙酰度99%的PVP/CH I凝胶pH敏感性较显著。介质pH值由1.0到7.0变化时,凝胶拉伸强度随着溶胀率的降低而增大。     

Temperature-responsive smart surfaces via rise-and-descent transition: Attachability,durability, and fast sweating

Smart surfaces containing thermo-responsive hydrogels have been investigated for several decades, but the development of mechanically durable and versatile surfaces that can undergo distinct property changes remains a challenging task. Herein, we prepare smart surfaces showing reversible changes in micro-scale roughness, which are attachable to various polymeric substrates. The hydrogel microphase located between silicone phases responsively rise and descend (volcanic-terrain-mimetic transition); as a result, the surface properties reversibly swing from those of the hydrophobic silicone-like ones to those of the wet hydrogel ones. The durability of these surfaces resembles that of silicone, while their fast water release characteristics allow the utilization of the studied materials in self-aligning and artificial sweating applications. The release of the drug molecules loaded into the hydrogel phase is controlled by varying the temperature and composite structure. Thus, the fabricated versatile surfaces utilizing the volume transition of thermo-responsive hydrogels can meet the requirements of various future applications.     

非冻结水对微球复合水凝胶机械性能的影响

本文旨在用DSC的方法研究水凝胶结合水的能力与韧性的关系。 分别以甲基丙烯酸丁酯(BMA)或甲基丙烯酸六氟丁酯(HFBMA)和烯丙基胺为单体,制备了2种核壳纳米微球(BMA微球和HFBMA微球)。 再以其作为大分子引发剂和交联剂,制备了微球交联复合水凝胶(BMA-H凝胶和HFBMA-H凝胶)。 通过差示扫描量热仪(DSC)、傅里叶变换红外光谱仪(FTIR)和透射电子显微镜(TEM)等技术手段研究凝胶的结构和性能。 结果表明,HFBMA-H凝胶具有更好的机械性能,其拉伸强度和断裂伸长率分别可达280 kPa和3960%,远高于BMA-H凝胶(101 kPa,2700%)。 通过对2种复合凝胶体系内不同状态的水进行分析,发现HFBMA-H凝胶的非冻结水的质量分数明显高于BMA-H凝胶,这种非冻结水的增塑作用对于凝胶机械强度的提升具有重要影响。     

Mechanical and transport properties of the poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(acrylic acid) double network hydrogel from molecular dynamic simulations

We used atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to investigate the mechanical and transport properties of the PEO-PAA double network (DN) hydrogel with 76 wt % water content. By analyzing the pair correlation functions for polymer-water pairs and for ion-water pairs and the solvent accessible surface area, we found that the solvation of polymer and ion in the DN hydrogel is enhanced in comparison with both PEO and PAA single network (SN) hydrogels. The effective mesh size of this DN hydrogel is smaller than that of the SN hydrogels with the same water content and the same molecular weight between the cross-linking points (Mc). Applying uniaxial extensions, we obtained the stress-strain curves for the hydrogels. This shows that the DN hydrogel has a sudden increase of stress above approximately 100% strain, much higher than the sum of the stresses of the two SN hydrogels at the same strain. This arises because PEO has a smaller Mc value than PAA, so that the PEO in the DN reaches fully stretched out at 100% strain that corresponds to 260% strain in the PEO SN (beyond this point, the bond stretching and the angle bending increase dramatically). We also calculated the diffusion coefficients of solutes such as D-glucose and ascorbic acid in the hydrogels, where we find that the diffusion coefficients of those solutes in the DN hydrogel are 60% of that in the PEO SN and 40% of that in the PAA SN due to its smaller effective mesh size.     

Biodegradable water absorbent synthesized from bacterial poly(amino acid)s

Biodegradable hydrogels prepared by gamma-irradiation from microbial poly(amino acid)s have been studied. pH-Sensitive hydrogels were prepared by the gamma-irradiation of poly(gamma-glutamic acid) (PGA) produced by Bacillus subtilis and poly(epsilon-lysine) (PL) produced by Streptomyces albulus in aqueous solutions. When the gamma-irradiation dose was 19 kGy or more, and the concentration of PGA in water was 2 wt.-% or more, transparent hydrogels could be produced. For the 19 kGy dose, the produced hydrogel was very weak, however, the specific water content (wt. of absorbed water/wt. of dry hydrogel) of this PGA hydrogel was approximately 3,500. The specific water content decreased to 200, increasing when the gamma-irradiation dose was over 100 kGy. Under acid conditions or upon the addition of electrolytes, the PGA hydrogels shrunk. The PGA hydrogel was pH-sensitive and the change in the volume of the hydrogel depended on the pH value outside the hydrogel in the swelling medium. This PGA hydrogel was hydrodegradable and biodegradable. A new novel purifier reagent (coagulant), made from the PGA hydrogels, for contaminated turbid water has been found and developed by Japanese companies. A very small amount of this coagulant (only 2 ppm in turbid water) with poly(aluminum chloride) can be used for the purification of turbid water. A PL aqueous solution also can change into a hydrogel by gamma-irradiation. The specific water content of the PL hydrogel ranged from 20 to 160 depending on the preparation conditions. Under acid conditions, the PL hydrogel swelled because of the ionic repulsion of the protonated amino groups in the PL molecules. The rate of enzymatic degradation of the respective PL hydrogels by a neutral protease was much faster than the rate of simple hydrolytic degradation.     

Structure and properties of urea-crosslinked star poly[(ethylene oxide)-ran-(propylene oxide)] hydrogels

Isocyanate-terminated six armed star shaped macromers with a statistical copolymer backbone consisting of 80% EO and 20% PO have previously demonstrated excellent protein and cell repellence as nano-layered surfaces. In this study, various macromers are mixed with water and provide a spectrum of materials that range from particles to uniform hydrogels. Due to hydrophobic end groups, 3 kDa molecular weight macromers result in micro and nano-particles, while 18 kDa macromers completely dissolve and consequently uniform, transparent, high water content hydrogels are formed. Oriented channels may be induced into these hydrogels through the controlled freezing of water in the preformed hydrogel.     

Photopolymerization of poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate on eosin-functionalized surfaces

We describe a new method that allows photopolymerization of hydrogels to occur on surfaces functionalized with eosin. In this work, glass and silicon surfaces were derivatized with eosin and photopolymerization was carried out using visible light (514 nm). This mild condition may have advantages over methods that use ultraviolet (UV) light (e.g., for encapsulation of cells and proteins, in drug screening, or in biosensing applications). The hydrogel formed on the modified surface is remarkably stable for an extended period of time. The resultant hydrogel was hydrated for more than 18 months without suffering delamination from the substrate surface. This strongly suggests covalent attachment of the hydrogel to the surface. Contact angle titration measurements and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis of eosin surfaces before and after irradiation in the presence of triethanolamine suggest that the eosin radical is responsible for the covalent attachment of the gel onto the substrate surface. This method allows for 2-D patterning of hydrogels, which is demonstrated here using the microcontact printing technique. However, noncontact photolithography could be used to form similar patterns by directing light through a mask. This method can be easily implemented to form arrays of fluorophores and proteins in situ.     

Layer‐by‐Layer Assembly for Surface Tethering of Thin‐Hydrogel Films: Design Strategies and Applications

Manipulation and engineering of the surfaces has a key role in improving the materials properties. Anchoring of thin hydrogels on the materials surface is one of the recently developed methods to achieve surfaces with high potential applications. Layer‐by‐layer (LBL) has been used widely as a strong strategy for immobilization of thin hydrogel films on the surface of various organic/inorganic substrates. Electrostatic LBL and covalent LBL are two main strategies used in this regard. In electrostatic LBL, negatively and positively hydrophilic polymers are sequentially assembled to create a multilayer hydrogel which subsequent covalent crosslinking of multilayers improved the stability of the inserted layers. On the other hand, covalent LBL requires hydrophilic polymers bearing reactive telechelic groups. These reactive polymers are prepared by various polymerization techniques or by post‐functionalization of biopolymers. The principles of hydrogel anchoring have described along with representative examples. Besides, the potential applications of the modified surfaces in specific cases have been addressed and overviewed.     

含金刚烷基的N-异丙基丙烯酰胺共聚物水凝胶的制备和性能研究

合成了含金刚烷基的甲基丙烯酸金刚烷酯(AdMA)疏水单体,并通过与N-异丙基丙烯酰胺(NIPAM)共聚,制备了温敏性的(P(NIPAM-co-AdMA))共聚物水凝胶.用傅里叶变换红外光谱仪(FTIR)表征了凝胶的化学结构,用环境扫描电镜(ESEM)对凝胶断层结构的形貌进行了观察,用DSC测试了凝胶的体积相转变温度(LCST),并研究了共聚水凝胶的溶胀性能.结果表明,共聚物水凝胶的LCST能够高效地通过改变疏水单体的含量来调节,在实验所考察的范围内,LCST随AdMA含量的增加而线性降低;疏水单体的含量对凝胶的孔洞结构和溶胀性能存在一最优值,在最优的单体配比下,水凝胶具有均匀规整的大孔结构和超快的响应速率.如疏水单体含量为3%(AdMA∶NIPAM=3%)的共聚物水凝胶具有如渔网般均匀的多孔结构,当发生去溶胀时,在5min内就可以失去92%的水,不到10min的时间就可以完全达到去溶胀平衡,水保留率在4%以下.     

聚(4-乙酰基丙烯酰乙酸乙酯-co-丙烯酸)水凝胶的溶胀动力学以及温度敏感性研究

通过分子结构设计, 合成了疏水性单体4-乙酰基丙烯酰乙酸乙酯(AAEA), 并以该单体与丙烯酸(AA)进行自由基溶液共聚, 制备了P(AAEA-co-AA)新型温度敏感性水凝胶. AAEA的¹H NMR及FT-IR分析表明, 该单体主要以烯醇式结构存在; P(AAEA-co-AA)的FT-IR分析发现, PAAEA与PAA之间存在较强烈的氢键作用, 使得AAEA烯醇异构体中的C—O伸缩振动吸收峰移向了低波数处. 对冷冻干燥后凝胶的电镜分析发现, 当AAEA用量较高时, 由于凝胶内部分子链段的疏水聚集, 各部分溶胀度以及溶胀速度不均一而使得凝胶表面粗糙不平. 采用DSC对凝胶的体积相转变进行了研究, 结果表明, 该水凝胶的体积相转变温度(VPTT)在48.2至61.8 ℃之间, 并且随着AAEA用量的减小, 凝胶的VPTT逐渐增加. 对该新型温度敏感性水凝胶在去离子水中的溶胀动力学研究发现, 当AAEA用量高于4.6 g时, 凝胶属于Fick凝胶; 反之凝胶则属于非Fick凝胶. 该水凝胶在去离子水中具有良好的温度敏感性, 当外界温度低于VPTT时, 凝胶能保持溶胀状态; 而当外界温度高于VPTT时, 凝胶的平衡溶胀度迅速下降, 表现为温度敏感性. 进一步研究发现, 凝胶组成不仅会影响凝胶的VPTT, 而且会影响凝胶温度敏感性的强弱.     

STUDY ON THE SWELLING BEHAVIOUR OF COPOLYMER HYDROGEL

The states of water in poly (N-vinylpyrrolidone-methylmethacrylate) and poly (N-vinylpyrroli-done-2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) hydrogels have been studied by means of DSC. The effect ofpolmer structure on equilibrium swelling extent of water has been examined. It was found that thestate of water and the water content in different hydrogels were dependent on the kind of monomer used,the component of copolymer, the sequence distribution of the monomer unit and the degree of cross-linking (including chemical and physical) to a great extent. The equilibrium water content of thehydrogel may be regarded as the sum of the different state of swollen water contents of the hydrogel.Based on these, a semiempirical formula used to estimate the equilibrium water content of the copolymerhydrogels was presented.     

氧化石墨烯/聚合物复合水凝胶的研究进展

氧化石墨烯是一种具有单原子厚度的二维材料, 具有优异的力学性能和良好的水分散性, 其表面有大量的含氧官能团. 将氧化石墨烯引入水凝胶体系中可以提高水凝胶的机械性能, 丰富其刺激响应的类型. 目前, 氧化石墨烯水凝胶在高强度、 吸附、 自愈合及智能材料等很多领域均有出色的表现. 氧化石墨烯水凝胶的研究已有10年的历史. 本文总结了氧化石墨烯水凝胶的制备方法, 归纳了智能氧化石墨烯水凝胶在光热响应、 pH响应和自愈合3个方面的响应机理和研究进展, 并综合评述了其在高强度水凝胶、 生物医学、 智能材料和污水处理等方面的应用前景.     

多孔聚乙烯醇缩甲醛凝胶力学行为对含水量变化的敏感性

通过成孔剂法制备具有连通孔结构的聚乙烯醇缩甲醛凝胶(PVFM) ,研究其在吸水膨胀脱水收缩过程中力学行为对含水量变化的响应性.实验表明多孔PVFM具有很快的吸水 脱水速度,吸水80s内就可达到最大的平衡膨胀应力,干燥4h内其膨胀应力可降低95 % ;同时还发现多孔PVFM在脱水干燥过程中出现明显的体积回弹和膨胀应力回复现象,而且压缩模量在一定范围内随含水量的减少反而降低,分析表明这些与PVFM的多孔结构、弹性网络的状态有密切关系.     

Preparation of interpenetrating polymer network composed of poly(ethylene glycol) and poly(acrylamide) hydrogels as a support of enzyme immobilization

Poly(ethylene glycol)(PEG)‐based interpenetrating polymeric network (IPN) hydrogels were prepared for the application of enzyme immobilization. Poly(acrylamide)(PAAm) was chosen as the other network of IPN hydrogel and different concentration of PAAm networks were incorporated inside the PEG hydrogel to improve the mechanical strength and provide functional groups that covalently bind the enzyme. Formation of IPN hydrogels was confirmed by observing the weight per cent gain of hydrogel after incorporation of PAAm network and by attenuated total reflectance/Fourier transform infrared (ATR/FTIR) analysis. Synthesis of IPN hydrogels with higher PAAm content produced more crosslinked hydrogels with lower water content (WC), smaller M_c and mesh size, which resulted in enhanced mechanical properties compared to the PEG hydrogel. The IPN hydrogels exhibited tensile strength between 0.2 and 1.2 MPa while retaining high levels of hydration (70–81% water). For enzyme immobilization, glucose oxidase (GOX) was immobilized to PEG and IPN hydrogel beads. Enzyme activity studies revealed that although all the hydrogels initially had similar enzymatic activity, enzyme‐immobilizing PEG hydrogels lost most of the enzymatic activity within 2 days due to enzyme leaching while IPN hydrogels maintained a maximum 80% of the initial enzymatic activity over a week due to the covalent linkage between the enzyme and amine groups of PAAm. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Nonswellable hydrogels with robust micro/nano-structures and durable superoleophobic surfaces under seawater

Hydrogels, composed mainly of water trapped in three dimensional cross-linked polymer networks, have been widely utilized to construct underwater superoleophobic surfaces. However, the swelling nature and instability of hydrogels under complex marine environment will weaken their underwater superoleophobicity. Herein, we synthesize structured poly(2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate)(PHEMA) hydrogels by using sandpaper as templates. The robust non-swelling of PHEMA hydrogel ensures that micro/nano-structures on the surface of PHEMA hydrogels can be well maintained. Moreover, when roughness Ra of about 3~4 μm, the surface has superior oil-repellency. Additionally, even after immersing in seawater for one-month, their breaking strength and toughness can be well kept. The non-swellable hydrogels with long-term stable under seawater superoleophobicity will promote the development of robust superoleophobic materials in marine antifouling coatings,biomedical devices and oil/water separation.     

大孔PAMPS/PVA半互穿网络型水凝胶的制备及其性能研究

以PEG6000为成孔剂, 合成了大孔聚(2-丙烯酰胺-2-甲基丙磺酸)/聚乙烯醇半互穿网络型(s-IPN)水凝胶. 红外分析表明, PVA与PAMPS之间形成了较强的氢键, 使得PVA分子上的C—O伸缩振动吸收峰移向了低波数处. X射线衍射分析发现, 当PVA用量较高时, 由于部分的PVA结晶, 使得凝胶的半互穿网络结构不均匀. 电镜分析结果表明, 没有使用成孔剂的凝胶表面成褶皱形, 不存在任何孔洞结构; 而以PEG6000为成孔剂的凝胶表面存在相互贯穿的大孔结构. 研究了该水凝胶的溶胀性能, 结果表明, 该水凝胶的平衡溶胀度在116至320之间; 而成孔剂PEG6000的加入能较大幅度提高凝胶的溶胀速率, 凝胶在240 min之内就能达到溶胀平衡. 对凝胶抗压缩性能的研究表明, 当PVA用量为9.1% (w)时, 凝胶的抗压缩强度最大, 可达12.0 MPa; 而成孔剂的加入会在一定程度削弱凝胶的抗压缩强度. 该凝胶具有较好的电场敏感性, 研究发现, 将吸去离子水达到溶胀平衡的凝胶放入施加有电场的0.2 mol&#8226;L－1 NaCl溶液中时, 凝胶迅速偏向阳极. 而PVA和成孔剂PGE6000的用量均对凝胶的偏转速度以及最大偏转角存在较大的影响.     

Synthesis,characterization and evaluation of semi‐IPN hydrogels consisted of poly(methacrylic acid) and guar gum for colon‐specific drug delivery

The semi‐IPN hydrogels consisting of poly(methacrylic acid) and guar gum (GG) are prepared at room temperature using water as solvent. 5‐aminosalicylic acid (5‐ASA) is entrapped in the hydrogel in the synthesis of hydrogel and all entrapment efficiencies are found above 85%. The hydrogel shows excellent pH‐sensitivity. It exhibited minimum swelling in an acidic pH medium through the formation of a complex hydrogen‐bonded structure and maximal swelling due to the electrostatic repulsion due to the ionization of the carboxylic groups in pH 7.4 medium. The degradation in vitro shows that the degree of degradation (R%) depended on the concentration of cross‐linking agent and content of GG. The hydrogel shows a minimum release of 5‐ASA due to the complex hydrogen bonded structure of the hydrogels in the medium of pH 2.2. The enzymatic degradation of hydrogels by cecal bacteria can accelerate the release of 5‐ASA entrapped in the hydrogel in pH 7.4 medium. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Swelling equilibria and dye adsorption studies of chemically crosslinked superabsorbent acrylamide/maleic acid hydrogels

Superswelling acrylamide (AAm)/maleic acid (MA) hydrogels were prepared by free radical polymerization in aqueous solution of AAm with MA as comonomer with some multifunctional crosslinkers such as trimethylolpropane triacrylate and 1,4-butanediol dimethacrylate. AAm/MA hydrogels were used in experiments on swelling and adsorption of a water-soluble monovalent cationic dye such as Basic Blue 17 (Toluidin Blue). As a result of dynamic swelling tests, the influence of relative content of MA on the swelling properties of the hydrogel systems was examined. AAm/MA hydrogels were swollen in the range 1660-6050% in water, while AAm hydrogels swelled in the range 780-1360%. Equilibrium water content of AAm/MA hydrogels were calculated in the range 0.8873-0.9837. Water intake of hydrogels followed a non-Fickian type diffusion. The uptake of the cationic dye, BB-17 to AAm/MA hydrogels is studied by batch adsorption technique at 25 °C. In the experiments of the adsorption equilibrium, S-type adsorption in Giles's classification system was found. The binding ratio of hydrogel/dye systems was gradually increased with the increase of MA content in the AAm/MA hydrogels.