Enhanced mechanical properties of photo-clickable thiol-ene PEG hydrogels through repeated photopolymerization of in-swollen macromer.

ABSTRACT: Current hydrogels used for tissue engineering are limited to a single range of mechanical properties within the replicated tissue construct. We show that repeated in-swelling by a single hydrogel pre-cursor solution into an existing polymerized hydrogel followed by photo-exposure increases hydrogel mechanical properties. The process is demonstrated with a photo-clickable thiol-ene hydrogel using a biocompatible precursor solution of poly(ethylene glycol) dithiol and 8-arm poly(ethylene glycol) functionalized with norbornene. The polymer fraction in the precursor solution was varied by 5, 10, and 20 percent by weight and an off-stoichiometric ratio of thiol : ene was used, leaving free enes available for subsequent reaction. Multiple swelling and exposure cycles for the same precursor solut

SUBMITTER: Fiedler CI 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5341082 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature