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Facile preparation of 2-methylene-1,3-dioxepane-based thermoresponsive polymers and hydrogels

Polymer Journal volume 53, pages 731–739 (2021)Cite this article

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Abstract

Thermoresponsive and degradable hydrogels are considered promising materials for the development of smart drug delivery carriers that can be applied in the human body. However, the synthesis of a thermoresponsive degradable hydrogel with desirable properties is challenging. Here, we prepared thermoresponsive degradable copolymers and hydrogels by radical copolymerization of 2-methylene-1,3-dioxepane and N,N-dimethylacrylamide. The obtained polymers exhibited low critical solution temperature-type phase separation and a swelling-deswelling behavior. Under alkaline conditions (pH 11.3), these materials degraded and turned into water-soluble oligomers. In addition, the hydrogels self-degraded in PBS due to the decreased pH of the inner hydrogel. The prepared thermoresponsive degradable polymers and hydrogels have potential applicability as stimuli-responsive drug delivery carriers and cell culture scaffolds.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Materials Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Science, 6-3-1 Niijuku, Katsushika-ku, Tokyo, Japan

    Syuuhei Komatsu, Takuya Sato & Akihiko Kikuchi

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  1. Syuuhei Komatsu
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  2. Takuya Sato
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  3. Akihiko Kikuchi
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Correspondence to Akihiko Kikuchi.

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Komatsu, S., Sato, T. & Kikuchi, A. Facile preparation of 2-methylene-1,3-dioxepane-based thermoresponsive polymers and hydrogels. Polym J 53, 731–739 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41428-021-00463-5

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