POLY 687 |
| The network structure of synthetic hydrogels is an important factor in the physical behavior of the material in both tissue engineering and drug delivery applications. This work examines the use of a novel polymer structuring technique to fabricate biocompatible polymeric materials with controllable network architecture for advanced bio-applications. Lyotropic liquid crystalline (LLC) mesophases, each possessing self-assembled, highly ordered structures on the nanometer size scale, are used as monomer templates forming unique hydrogel networks upon photopolymerization. A number of LLC morphologies including hexagonal, bicontinuous cubic, and lamellar geometries were investigated as monomer templates for networks of biocompatible poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA). Results indicate that material properties including network swelling, modulus, and permeability of structured PEGDA hydrogels are heavily influenced by the type of LLC network structure with which the matrix is templated. Furthermore, LLC templated hydrogels demonstrate property relationships that are not typically observed through traditional hydrogel engineering strategies via crosslink density manipulation. |
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7th International Biorelated Polymers Symposium
1:30 PM-3:40 PM, Thursday, 14 September 2006 San Francisco Marriott -- Salon 14/15, Oral
Division of Polymer Chemistry |