Click Chemistry: A Potential Platform for Development of Novel Dental Restorative Materials

The main aim of this study is to develop novel polymer modified glass-ionomer cement (GIC) glasses utilizing click chemistry and RAFT polymerization. These novel glasses can serve as a platform to improve the properties of GIC's by incorporating chemistries and formulations that are not normally compatible with GIC's. Aluminofluoro-silicate glasses utilized in glass-ionomer dental cements were coated with azide terminated silane groups. In addition, a copolymer of acrylic acid-itaconic acid containing alkyne groups was synthesized by RAFT polymerization and was coupled via ‘click’ chemistry with the azide-coated GIC glass particles. FT-IR spectroscopy was used to characterize the synthesized materials and to confirm completion of the ‘click’ coupling reaction. The experimental cements cured, demonstrating that these modified glasses could be utilized in GIC formulations. The long setting and working times compared to control groups indicate that further improvements are necessary to fully utilize this chemistry. Our initial results in this study demonstrated the successful application of click chemistry in developing novel dental restorative materials, specifically glass-ionomer cements.