We report the fabrication of chemically reactive gels using the azlactone-functionalized polymer poly(2-vinyl-4,4’-dimethylazlactone) (PVDMA) and the hydrophilic diamine Jeffamine®. Gels form rapidly (i.e., seconds to minutes) in organic solvents via reactions between pendant azlactones on PVDMA and the terminal amine groups on Jeffamine. Residual azlactones not consumed during crosslinking can be exploited to further functionalize these gels with hydrophobic, hydrophilic, and macromolecular amines that influence the physicochemical properties of these materials in aqueous media. We demonstrate that the surface and bulk of these gels can be differentially functionalized (i.e., different functional groups on the gel surface relative to the bulk) by taking advantage of different rates of diffusion of macromolecular amines versus small molecule amines into assembled gels. We further demonstrate that these gels can be imprinted with topographical features such as arrays of mcirowells using a replica molding procedure. Finally, fabrication of gel bilayers using different molecular weights and crosslinking densities of Jeffamine results in self-induced rolling of these materials into gel tubes. This presentation will discuss the fabrication, characterization, and modification of PVDMA-Jeffamine gels and our efforts toward the design of 2D and 3D cell culture scaffolds using these materials.

Fabrication and characterization of reactive gels assembled from azlactone-functionalized polymers: Toward advanced 2D and 3D cell culture platforms

254th National Meeting (2017)

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