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Controlling the kinetic chain length of the crosslinks in photo-polymerized biodegradable networks

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Abstract

Biodegradable polymer networks were prepared by photo-initiated radical polymerization of methacrylate functionalized poly(d,l-lactide) oligomers. The kinetic chains formed in this radical polymerization are the multifunctional crosslinks of the networks. These chains are carbon–carbon chains that remain after degradation. If their molecular weight is too high these poly(methacrylic acid) chains can not be excreted by the kidneys. The effect of the photo-initiator concentration and the addition of 2-mercaptoethanol as a chain transfer agent on the molecular weight of the kinetic chains was investigated. It was found that both increasing the initiator concentration and adding 2-mercaptoethanol decrease the kinetic chain length. However, the effect of adding 2-mercaptoethanol was much larger. Some network properties such as the glass transition temperature and the swelling ratio in acetone are affected when the kinetic chain length is decreased.

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Acknowledgments

We acknowledge Tieme Stevens for performing the MALDI-TOF MS measurements. This work was financially supported by DSM.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biomaterials Science and Technology, Faculty of Science and Technology, MIRA Institute for Biomedical Technology and Technical Medicine, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE, Enschede, The Netherlands

    Janine Jansen, Thomas N. S. van der Horst & Dirk W. Grijpma

  2. Van’t Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences, Polymer-Analysis Group, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Abdul Ghaffar & Sjoerd van der Wal

  3. Department of Chemistry, University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore, Pakistan

    Abdul Ghaffar

  4. DSM Ahead, P.O. Box 18, 6160 MD, Geleen, The Netherlands

    George Mihov

  5. Department of Polymer Chemistry and Biomaterials, Faculty of Science and Technology, MIRA Institute for Biomedical Technology and Technical Medicine, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE, Enschede, The Netherlands

    Jan Feijen

  6. Department of Biomedical Engineering, W.J. Kolff Institute, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9713 AV, Groningen, The Netherlands

    Dirk W. Grijpma

Authors
  1. Janine Jansen
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  2. Abdul Ghaffar
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  3. Thomas N. S. van der Horst
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  4. George Mihov
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  5. Sjoerd van der Wal
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  6. Jan Feijen
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  7. Dirk W. Grijpma
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Dirk W. Grijpma.

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Jansen, J., Ghaffar, A., van der Horst, T.N.S. et al. Controlling the kinetic chain length of the crosslinks in photo-polymerized biodegradable networks. J Mater Sci: Mater Med 24, 877–888 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10856-013-4873-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10856-013-4873-x

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