1 research outputs found
Supramolecular Hydrogels with Reverse Thermal Gelation Properties from (Oligo)tyrosine Containing Block Copolymers
Novel block copolymers comprising polyÂ(ethylene glycol)
(PEG) and
an oligoÂ(tyrosine) block were synthesized in different compositions
by <i>N</i>-carboxyanhydride (NCA) polymerization. It was
shown that PEG2000-Tyr<sub>6</sub> undergoes thermoresponsive hydrogelation
at a low concentration range of 0.25–3.0 wt % within a temperature
range of 25–50 °C. Cryogenic transmission electron microscopy
(Cryo-TEM) revealed a continuous network of fibers throughout the
hydrogel sample, even at concentrations as low as 0.25 wt %. Circular
dichroism (CD) results suggest that better packing of the β-sheet
tyrosine block at increasing temperature induces the reverse thermogelation.
A preliminary assessment of the potential of the hydrogel for in vitro
application confirmed the hydrogel is not cytotoxic, is biodegradable,
and produced a sustained release of a small-molecule drug