Fabrication of biodegradable poly(trimethylene carbonate) networks for potential tissue engineering scaffold applications

• Published in: Polymers for advanced technologies Vol. 20; no. 9; pp. 742 - 747
• Main Authors: Zhang, C., Subramanian, H., Grailer, J. J., Tiwari, A., Pilla, S., Steeber, D. A., Gong, S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 01.09.2009
• Subjects: biodegradable; photopolymerizable macromonomers; poly(trimethylene carbonate) networks; tissue engineering scaffold
• ISSN: 1042-7147; 1099-1581
• DOI: 10.1002/pat.1334

Biodegradable poly(trimethylene carbonate) (PTMC) networks were prepared by photopolymerization of linear (L)‐ and star (S)‐shaped PTMC macromonomers for potential tissue engineering scaffold applications. The L‐ (Mn, 6400) and S‐shaped (Mn, 5880) PTMC macromonomers were synthesized using 1,4‐butane diol and 2‐ethyl‐ 2‐hydroxyl‐propane‐1,3‐diol co‐initiated ring‐opening polymerization of trimethylene carbonate (TMC) in the presence of stannous octoate and subsequent acrylation with acryloyl chloride. Chemical structures of the PTMC macromonomers and their corresponding networks were characterized by 1H NMR and 13C NMR spectroscopy. The human endothelial cell line, EA.hy926 was used to test the biocompatibility, cell adhesion, and proliferation behavior of both PTMC networks. The PTMC networks made from the S‐shaped macromonomers exhibited superior cell adhesion and proliferation behavior than those made of the linear macromonomers. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.