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Synthesis of Poly(2‐oxazoline)‐Based Hydrogels with Tailor‐Made Swelling Degrees Capable of Stimuli‐Triggered Compound Release
Author(s) -
Kelly Andrew M.,
Hecke Angela,
Wirnsberger Bianca,
Wiesbrock Frank
Publication year - 2011
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.201100409
Subject(s) - self healing hydrogels , oxazoline , monomer , swelling , polymer chemistry , dichloromethane , polymerization , materials science , solvent , chemistry , chemical engineering , nuclear chemistry , polymer , organic chemistry , composite material , engineering , catalysis
A 32‐membered library of poly(2‐oxazoline)‐based hydrogels of the composition p EtOx m ‐p PhOx n ‐p PBO q ( m / n = 150/0, 100/50, 50/100, and 0/150; q = 1.5–30) was prepared from 2‐ethyl‐ ( EtOx ), 2‐phenyl‐2‐oxazoline ( PhOx ), and phenylene‐1,3‐bis‐(2‐oxazoline) ( PBO ). The polymerizations were performed from ground monomer mixtures at 140 °C in a single‐mode microwave reactor in reaction times as short as 1 h. Purified hydrogels, containing no residual monomers, were obtained in yields of 95% or higher. Acid‐mediated hydrolysis rates as well as swelling degrees of the hydrogels were adjustable over a broad range; swelling degrees in water/ethanol/dichloromethane ranged from 0 to 13.8/11.7/20.0. The hydrogels could incorporate organic molecules according to in situ or post‐synthetic routines. Post‐synthetic routines enabled for the preparation of hydrogels from which the incorporated compounds were only released through diffusion processes if the solvent was changed or through hydrogel degradation if the pH was lowered.