Methacrylate hydrogels synthesized with copper paddlewheel filler material will be assayed for applications in controlled drug release. Hydrogels are polymeric materials which can absorb large amounts of water, and coupled with their porosity make them quite similar to human tissue. The filler material along with EGDMA will serve to crosslink the polymer chains and is proposed to modulate the diffusive properties of the material. The paddlewheels contain two coppers that coordinate with four carboxylate ligands at near 90 degree angles. The paddlewheel material can form hydrogen bonds via their ligand’s hydroxyl groups, serving as crosslinkers between the methacrylate pendant groups of the polymer. The aim of this project is to ultimately provide a biocompatible material that intrinsically delivers drugs over prolonged periods of time. Differential Scanning Calorimetry, UV-Vis and FT-IR spectrophotometery are techniques used to characterize these hydrogel materials and their diffusive properties.

Biocompatible material used for drug delivery

249th National Meeting (2015)

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