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A Thermosensitive and Biodegradable Physical Gel with Chemically Crosslinked Nanogels as the Building Block
Author(s) -
Yang Zigang,
Ding Jiandong
Publication year - 2008
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.200700872
Subject(s) - nanogel , amphiphile , ethylene glycol , copolymer , micelle , materials science , polymer chemistry , self healing hydrogels , aqueous solution , poloxamer , self assembly , chemical engineering , drug delivery , chemistry , nanotechnology , polymer , organic chemistry , composite material , engineering
A triblock copolymer, poly(ethylene glycol)–poly(propylene glycol)–poly(ethylene glycol) was end‐capped by acryloyl groups using a biodegradable oligolactide as spacer, and such biodegradable amphiphilic macromers could form micelles in water. A nanogel was prepared via polymerizing macromers in a micelle, and a macroscopic physical gelation was found upon heating a concentrated aqueous nanogel suspension. Such a sol–gel transition with a chemically crosslinked nanogel as the building block was thermoreversible. While the hydrogel affords a promising injectable biomaterial; this research reveals new physics of the thermogelling mechanism of amphiphilic block copolymers.