Hydrogels are excellent materials for tissue engineering applications as a result of their network structure, ease of functionalization, and degradation properties. However, hydrogels must either be cast in vitro or extruded in vivo, which in the former limits conformation to a specific defect and in the latter limits precise control over scaffold morphology. To curb these limitations, we have synthesized a bioresorbable, hydrophilic block copolymer that can be photo-crosslinked into a hydrogel. By initiating the ring opening copolymerization of poly(propylene fumarate) with poly(ethylene glycol), AB- and ABA-type block copolymers were produced with low dispersities (i.e. D &lt; 1.5) as confirmed by 1H and quantitative 13C NMR spectroscopy, GPC, and MALDI-TOF MS. Furthermore, the mechanical and swelling properties of these materials were probed using photo-crosslinked tensile bars. Finally, multiple structures were able to be 3D-printed by continuous digital light processing (cDLP), showcasing the high print resolution this system affords.

Synthesis and characterization of PEG-poly(propylene fumarate) hydrogels

255th National Meeting (2018)

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