SMALL ANGLE X-RAY SCATTERING OF INTERPENETRATING NETWORK HYDROGELS

这个子项目是利用资源的许多研究子项目之一。 由NIH/NCRR资助的中心拨款提供。对子项目的主要支持 子项目的首席调查员可能是由其他来源提供的， 包括美国国立卫生研究院的其他来源。为子项目列出的总成本可能 表示该子项目使用的中心基础设施的估计数量， 不是由NCRR赠款提供给次级项目或次级项目工作人员的直接资金。 水凝胶是由亲水性聚合物链组成的网络，可以包含90%以上的水。大多数水凝胶材料由于其高含水率而非常脆弱。本课题组开发了一种高含水率(70%-90%重量)的水凝胶材料。和高抗拉强度。我们的材料由聚乙二醇网络和交联型聚丙烯酸网络组成。在形成这种互穿聚合物网络后，与每种聚合物的单一网络相比，断裂时的拉伸模数和应力增加了一个数量级。我们感兴趣的是使用SAXS测量来探索我们的互穿聚合物网络结构。这些测量将为我们提供有关观察到的机械强度增加的性质以及聚合物网络网目大小的有价值的信息。这些结构数据可以直接与我们实验观察到的机械和输运性质相关。了解这些IPN水凝胶增强强度的机制将为如何合成高强度合成软组织替代物提供见解。

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. Primary support for the subproject and the subproject's principal investigator may have been provided by other sources, including other NIH sources. The Total Cost listed for the subproject likely represents the estimated amount of Center infrastructure utilized by the subproject, not direct funding provided by the NCRR grant to the subproject or subproject staff. Hydrogels are networks of hydrophilic polymer chains and can contain over 90% wt. water. Most hydrogel materials are very weak due to their high water contents. Our research group has developed a hydrogel material with both high water content (70-90%wt.) and high tensile strength. Our material consists of a poly(ethylene glycol) network interpenetrated with a crosslinked network of poly(acrylic acid). Upon formation of this interpenetrating polymer network, tensile modulus and stress at fracture increase by an order of magnitude compared to single networks of each polymer. We are interesting in using SAXS measurements to probe the structure of our interpenetrating polymer networks. These measurements will give us valuable information regarding the nature of the observed increase in mechanical strength as well as the polymer network mesh size. This structural data can be related directly to our experimentally observed mechanical and transport properties. An understanding of the mechanisms responsible for the enhanced strength of these IPN hydrogels will provide insights on how to synthesize high strength synthetic soft tissue replacements.