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Dextran Hydrogels Containing Poly( N ‐isopropylacrylamide) as Grafts and Cross‐Linkers Exhibiting Enzymatic Regulation in a Specific Temperature Range
Author(s) -
Kumashiro Yoshikazu,
Ooya Tooru,
Yui Nobuhiko
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
macromolecular rapid communications
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.348
H-Index - 154
eISSN - 1521-3927
pISSN - 1022-1336
DOI - 10.1002/marc.200300279
Subject(s) - self healing hydrogels , dextran , poly(n isopropylacrylamide) , polymer chemistry , steric effects , polymer , polymerization , glycidyl methacrylate , materials science , lower critical solution temperature , methacrylate , chemistry , chemical engineering , copolymer , organic chemistry , composite material , engineering
Summary: Specific temperature‐responsive biodegradable hydrogels were synthesized and characterized in terms of their regulation of enzymatic accessibility based on the physical properties of the temperature‐responsive polymers. The hydrogels consist of glycidyl methacrylate‐modified dextran grafted with the poly( N ‐isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) homopolymer, and cross‐linked by co‐polymerization with NIPAAm and N , N ‐dimethylacrylamide (DMAAm). The coil‐globule change in the grafted poly(NIPAAm) chains and only a slight dehydration of the poly(NIPAAm‐co‐DMAAm) cross‐linkers are effective in controlling the enzymatic degradation over a specific temperature range.The thermo‐responses of the graft chains (steric hindrance) and the crosslinkers (slight deswelling of the hydrogel networks) control the enzymatic degradation of the hydrogel.