PDMSₛₜₐᵣ–PEG hydrogels prepared via solvent-induced phase separation (SIPS) and their potential utility as tissue engineering scaffolds

• Published in: Acta biomaterialia Vol. 8; no. 12; pp. 4324 - 4333
• Main Authors: Bailey, Brennan M, Fei, Ruochong, Munoz-Pinto, Dany, Hahn, Mariah S, Grunlan, Melissa A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 2012
• Subjects: adhesion; cell adhesion; ethylene glycol; hydrocolloids; mechanical properties; methylene chloride; molecular weight; tissue engineering; tissue repair
• ISSN: 1742-7061; 1878-7568

Inorganic–organic hydrogels based on methacrylated star polydimethylsiloxane (PDMSₛₜₐᵣ-MA) and diacrylated poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG-DA) macromers were prepared via solvent-induced phase separation (SIPS). The macromers were combined in a dichloromethane precursor solution and sequentially photopolymerized, dried and hydrated. The chemical and physical properties of the hydrogels were further tailored by varying the number average molecular weight (Mₙ) of PEG-DA (Mₙ=3.4k and 6k gmol⁻¹) as well as the weight percent ratio of PDMSₛₜₐᵣ-MA (Mₙ=7k gmol⁻¹) to PEG-DA from 0:100 to 20:80. Compared to analogous hydrogels fabricated from aqueous precursor solutions, SIPS produced hydrogels with a macroporous morphology, a more even distribution of PDMSₛₜₐᵣ-MA, increased modulus and enhanced degradation rates. The morphology, swelling ratio, mechanical properties, bioactivity, non-specific protein adhesion, controlled introduction of cell adhesion, and cytocompatibility of the hydrogels were characterized. As a result of their tunable properties, this library of hydrogels is useful to study material-guided cell behavior and ultimate tissue regeneration.