Department of Biomedical Engineering and Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at San Antonio One UTSA Circle, San Antonio, Texas 78249, USA.
Soft Matter. 2021 Mar 11;17(9):2530-2538. doi: 10.1039/d0sm02169e.
Heterogeneous non-linear poly(ethylene glycol) analogs, like poly(oligo(ethylene glycol)methyl ether methacrylate) (POEGMA), are of particular interest in the fabrication of smart biocompatible coatings as they undergo a reversible macromolecular rearrangement in response to external heat stimuli. The phase transition dynamics of POEGMA coatings in response to external temperature stimuli have been poorly investigated. The quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) can be used to investigate the phase transition of these functional coatings as polymer brushes in a dynamic and noninvasive in situ measurement. POEGMA brushes with different thickness are synthesized from the surface of a QCM-D sensor following a living radical polymerization technique by varying the monomer molecular weight. Investigations on the thermoresponsive collapse and swelling of POEGMA brushes grafted from the surface of a QCM-D sensor reveal the reversible phase transition nature of these coatings. Furthermore, the potential of these smart coatings in the field of biotechnology was explored by investigating the absorption and desorption of a model drug. A pulsatile drug release profile triggered by an increase in temperature is observed from POEGMA brushes. POEGMA brushes have the potential to be utilized as polymer coatings for controlled and programable drug release.
具有非均相非线性的聚乙二醇类似物，如聚（聚乙二醇甲基醚甲基丙烯酸酯）（POEGMA），由于其对外界热刺激会发生可逆的高分子重排，因此在智能生物相容性涂层的制备中特别感兴趣。POEGMA 涂层对外界温度刺激的相转变动力学研究甚少。石英晶体微天平耗散（QCM-D）可以用于研究这些功能涂层作为聚合物刷在动态和非侵入式原位测量中的相转变。通过改变单体分子量，从 QCM-D 传感器表面采用活性自由基聚合技术合成具有不同厚度的 POEGMA 刷。对 QCM-D 传感器表面接枝的 POEGMA 刷的热响应塌陷和溶胀的研究揭示了这些涂层的可逆相转变性质。此外，通过研究模型药物的吸收和解吸，探索了这些智能涂层在生物技术领域的应用潜力。从 POEGMA 刷中观察到温度升高引发的脉冲式药物释放。POEGMA 刷有望用作聚合物涂层，用于控制和可编程药物释放。
