Mechanical Properties of Ultrahigh Molecular Weight PHEMA Hydrogels Synthesized Using Initiated Chemical Vapor Deposition

In this work, poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA), a widely used hydrogel, is synthesized using initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD), a one-step surface polymerization that does not use any solvents. iCVD synthesis is capable of producing linear stoichiometric polymers that are free from...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Biomacromolecules 2010-08, Vol.11 (8), p.2116-2122
Main Authors: Bose, Ranjita K, Lau, Kenneth K. S
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adsorption
Applied sciences
Exact sciences and technology
Gases - chemistry
Hydrogels
Kinetics
Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
Materials Testing
Molecular Weight
Physicochemistry of polymers
Polyhydroxyethyl Methacrylate - chemistry
Polymerization
Polymers and radiations
Proteins - chemistry
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Summary:In this work, poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA), a widely used hydrogel, is synthesized using initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD), a one-step surface polymerization that does not use any solvents. iCVD synthesis is capable of producing linear stoichiometric polymers that are free from entrained unreacted monomer or solvent and, thus, do not require additional purification steps. The resulting films, therefore, are found to be noncytotoxic and also have low nonspecific protein adsorption. The kinetics of iCVD polymerization are tuned so as to achieve rapid deposition rates (∼1.5 μm/min), which in turn yield ultrahigh molecular weight polymer films that are mechanically robust with good water transport and swellability. The films have an extremely high degree of physical chain entanglement giving rise to high tensile modulus and storage modulus without the need for chemical cross-linking that compromises hydrophilicity.
ISSN:1525-7797
1526-4602
DOI:10.1021/bm100498a