Synthesis of porous PEG microgels using CaCO3 microspheres as hard templates

Macromol Rapid Commun. 2012 Jun 27;33(12):1049-54. doi: 10.1002/marc.201100863. Epub 2012 Mar 5.

Authors

Muriel Behra¹, Stephan Schmidt, Jürgen Hartmann, Dmitry V Volodkin, Laura Hartmann

Affiliation

¹ Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Am Mühlenberg 1, 14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany.

PMID: 22392732
DOI: 10.1002/marc.201100863

Abstract

Porous poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) microgels of both 17.6 and 8.3 μm in diameter are synthesized via hard templating with calcium carbonate (CaCO(3)) microparticles. The synthesis is performed in three steps: loading of PEG macromonomers into CaCO(3) microparticles, crosslinking via photopolymerization, and removal of the CaCO(3) template under acidic conditions. The resulting porous PEG microgels are inverse replicates of their templates as indicated by light microscopy, cryo-scanning electron microscopy (cryo-SEM), and permeability studies. Thus this process allows for the straightforward and highly reproducible synthesis of porous hydrogel particles of two different diameters and porosities that show great potential as carriers for drugs or nanomaterials.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Biocompatible Materials / chemistry
Calcium Carbonate / chemistry*
Cryoelectron Microscopy
Hydrogels
Microspheres*
Particle Size
Polyethylene Glycols / chemistry*
Porosity

Substances

Biocompatible Materials
Hydrogels
Polyethylene Glycols
Calcium Carbonate