Synthesis and characterization of in situ chitosan‐based hydrogel via grafting of carboxyethyl acrylate

We developed and characterized a novel in situ chitosan‐poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) hydrogel via two steps: 2‐carboxyethyl acrylate molecules were grafted to the primary amine functional groups in chitosan in the first step and then Michael type addition reaction was processed between the grafted acrylate end groups and the thiol end groups in the PEO. Grafting of acrylate molecules to the amine groups in the deacetylated water soluble chitosan was confirmed by observing the new acrylate peaks by the FTIR and NMR spectra of the acrylated chitosan samples, as well as changes in relative viscosities of chitosan and acrylated chitosan. Formation of the chitosan‐PEO hydrogel was visually observed with digital images after both gelation and hydration. Rheological analyses of the hydrogel formation were performed to detect its gelation time, phase angle changes, and visco‐elastic properties over frequency and strain percentage. Their results indicated that the gelation process was completed within 10 min after mixing the precursor liquid solutions. An extent of water swelling, mechanical strength against compression and the morphologies of the hydrogel surface and cross sections after dehydration process were analyzed by microbalance measurement, texture analyzer, and scanning electron microscopy observation, respectively. Biological activities of the hydrogels were evaluated by observing smooth muscle cell behaviors such as cell adhesion and viability as well as by measuring the number of adhered cells on their surfaces. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res 2007