Dual‐crosslinked hydrogels with metal coordination from novel co‐polyaspartamide containing 1,2‐dihydroxy and imidazole pendant groups

• Published in: Journal of applied polymer science 2021-11, Vol.138 (43), p.n/a
• Main Authors: Dang, Dat Quoc, Park, Nuri, Kim, Jaeyun, Kim, Ji‐Heung
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: adhesives; Antiinfectives and antibacterials; Aspartic acid; biomedical applications; Biomedical materials; Coordination; Crosslinking; Functional groups; functionalization of polymers; Hydrogels; Hydroxyl groups; Imidazole; Ions; Materials science; Mechanical properties; Metal ions; polyamides; Polymers; Substrates
• ISSN: 0021-8995; 1097-4628
• DOI: 10.1002/app.51278

Herein, a series of new polyaspartamide derivatives, PolyAspAm(API/APD)s, is prepared from polysuccinimide, which is the thermal polycondensation product of aspartic acid, via successive ring‐opening using 1‐(3‐aminopropyl)imidazole (API) and 3‐amino‐1,2‐propanediol (APD). Metal‐coordinated hydrogels are generated by adding divalent metal ions (Cu2+, Zn2+) to the aqueous polymer solution. The resulting gels can adhere strongly to various substrates. Further, novel dual‐crosslinked hydrogels are prepared, where the first network is generated via acetal formation between the massive 1,2‐hydroxyl groups of the polymer and glutaldehyde as the crosslinker. Subsequent immersion of the product gel in various metal ion‐containing solutions forms a second network via metal coordination, thereby affording mechanically robust hydrogels. Multiple metal‐coordination interactions are expected to occur between the imidazole functional groups and metal cations. The mechanical properties of resulting gel vary depending on the metallic species. These novel kinds of hydrogels are expected to find biomedical applications as adhesives and antibacterial soft matter. A new polyaspartamide derivative with both 1,2‐dihydroxy and imidazolyl pendants was synthesized. Based on this polymer, metal‐coordinated soft gel was prepared and characterized as a strong adhesive polymer. Furthermore, mechanically robust dual‐crosslinked hydrogels were prepared via successive covalent cross‐linking with acetal linkage followed by metal (Cu2+ and Zn2+) coordination bonding. This novel polyaspartamide derivative and the related gels may provide a useful candidate as both adhesive and antibacterial soft matter possessing variable mechanical property for many biomedical applications.