Controlling the Thermosensitive Gelation Properties of Poly(organophosphazenes) by Blending

• Published in: Macromolecular rapid communications. Vol. 26; no. 20; pp. 1615 - 1618
• Main Authors: Kang, Gyung Don, Heo, Jeong-Yun, Jung, Sung Bum, Song, Soo-Chang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Weinheim WILEY-VCH Verlag 24.10.2005; WILEY‐VCH Verlag; Wiley
• Subjects: Applied sciences; blends; Exact sciences and technology; hydrogels; Inorganic and organomineral polymers; Physicochemistry of polymers; poly(organophosphazenes); Properties and characterization; thermosensitive hydrogels; Injectable form; Ternary system; Graft copolymer; Phosphazene copolymer; Gelation; Physical gel; Composition effect; hydrogels; Ethylene oxide copolymer; Experimental study; thermosensitive hydrogels; Hydrogel; Aqueous solution; blends; poly(organophosphazenes)
• ISSN: 1022-1336; 1521-3927
• DOI: 10.1002/marc.200500472

After synthesizing both hard poly(organophosphazenes), which acted as strong hydrogels at a temperature below 37 °C, and soft poly(organophosphazenes), which displayed the opposite properties, we blended the polymers. When these polymers were blended at an appropriate ratio, the blended aqueous solution changed into a transparent hydrogel with improved mechanical properties at a temperature of 37 °C. According to DSC and IR measurements, the two polymers blended homogeneously and exhibited a behavior characteristic of a completely different copolymer. An aqueous poly(organophosphazene) solution at room temperature (left) is reversibly and rapidly transformed into a transparent hydrogel at body temperature (right) when a hard poly(organophosphazene) is blended with a soft one at an appropriate ratio.