• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.91-95
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• 1991

Polyethylene glycol, polypropylene glycol and block copolymer of ethylene glycol and propylene glycol were crosslinked by triisocyanate to form water swellable, rubbery polymer. The equilibrium swelling of the hydrogels ranged from 3% to 60% according to the hydrophobic-hydrophilic properties of the prepolymers. Model drugs, sodium salicylate and prednisolone were incorporated in the polymer matrices by swelling loading. Physical properties of the drugs affected the drug release mechanisms due to the change in the swelling behaviors of the polymeric devices. Zero order release was observed in the case of relatively hydrophobic polymer matrices.

• Biomaterials and Biomechanics in Bioengineering
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.23-32
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• 2015

Facile immobilization of growth factors in hyaluronic acid (HA) hydrogels using dual enzymes is reported in the paper. The hydrogels were formed by using horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and hydrogen peroxide ($H_2O_2$) and transforming growth factor-${\beta}3$ (TGF-${\beta}3$) was covalently conjugated on the hydrogels in situ using tyrosinase (Ty) without any modifications. For the preparation of hydrogels, HA was grafted with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), which was modified with a tyrosine. The gelation times of the HA hydrogels were ranging from 415 to 17 s and the storage moduli was dependent on the concentration of $H_2O_2$ and Ty (470-1600 Pa). A native TGF-${\beta}3$ (200 ng/mL) was readily encapsulated in the HA hydrogels and 17% of the TGF-${\beta}3$ was released over 1 month at the Ty concentration of 0.5 KU/mL, while the release was faster when 0.3 KU/mL of Ty was used for the encapsulation (27%). It can be suggested that the growth factors resident in the hydrogels for a long period of time may lead cells proliferating and differentiating, whereas the growth factors that are initially released from the hydrogels can induce the ingrowth of cells into the matrices. Therefore, the dual enzymatic methods as facile gel forming and loading of various native growth factors or therapeutic proteins could be highly promising for tissue regenerative medicines.

• Composites Research
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.153-160
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• 2022

Cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) based on wood pulp fibers are gained much attention as part of biocompatible hydrogels for biomedical applications such as tissue engineering scaffolds, biomedicine, and drug carrier. However, CNF hydrogels have relatively poor mechanical properties, impeding their applications requiring high mechanical integrity. In this work, we prepare 2,2,6,6-tetramethylipiperidin-oxyl (TEMPO) oxidated cellulose nanofibrils hydrogels mediated with metal cations, which form the metal-carboxylate coordination bonds for enhanced mechanical strength and toughness. We conduct the large amplitude oscillatory shear (LAOS) test and Live/dead cell assay for obtaining nonlinear viscoelastic parameters and cell viability, respectively. In particular, the cell proliferation and viability change depending on the type of metal salt, which also affected the rheological properties of the hydrogels.

• Biomaterials and Biomechanics in Bioengineering
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• v.1 no.3
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• pp.163-174
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• 2014

The objective of this study is to prepare an artificial extracellular matrix (ECM) for cell culture by using polymer hydrogels. The polymer used is a cytocompatible water-soluble phospholipid polymer: poly[2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC)-n-butyl methacrylate-p-nitrophenyloxycarbonyl poly(ethylene oxide) methacrylate (MEONP)] (PMBN). The hydrogels are prepared using a cross-linking reaction between PMBN and diamine compounds, which can easily react to the MEONP moiety under mild conditions. The most favorable diamine is the bis(3-aminopropyl) poly(ethylene oxide) (APEO). The effects of cross-linking density and the chemical structure of cross-linking molecules on the mechanical properties of the hydrogel are evaluated. The storage modulus of the hydrogel is tailored by tuning the PMBN concentration and the MEONP/amino group ratio. The porous structure of the hydrogel networks depends not only on these parameters but also on the reaction temperature. We prepare a hydrogel with $40-50{\mu}m$ diameter pores and more than 90 wt% swelling. The permeation of proteins through the hydrogel increases dramatically with an increase in pore size. To induce cell adhesion, the cell-attaching oligopeptide, RGDS, is immobilized onto the hydrogel using MEONP residue. Bovine pulmonary artery endothelial cells (BPAECs) are cultured on the hydrogel matrix and are able to migrate into the artificial matrix. Hence, the RGDS-modified PMBN hydrogel matrix with cross-linked APEO functions as an artificial ECM for growing cells for applications in tissue engineering.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.263-268
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• 2009

Superporous Hydrogels (SPHs) have been extensively investigated for various biomedical applications due to their fast swelling and superabsorbent properties. In this study, glycol chitosan that is one of most abundant natural polymers was used as a cross-linking agent instead of bisacrylamide (BIS), which is a broadly used crosslinking agent for preparation of SPHs. Glycol chitosan was modified to have reactive vinyl groups by chemical conjugation with glycidyl methacrylate (GMA). The vinyl group-containing glycol chitosan (GC-GMA) was characterized by FT-IR and $^1H$-NMR measurements. SPHs have been prepared in various synthetic conditions to establish the optimum synthetic process for making superporous structure, where the inner pores are interconnected to each other to form a open channel structure. Various SPHs with different GC-GMA contents have been successfully prepared and have been observed to show faster swelling properties than other conventional SPHs. From the study on the swelling behavior of SPHs, the GC-GMA content is considered to be an important factor for controlling their swelling properties.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.173-176
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• 2012

Chlorine dioxide has an excellent ability to sterilize and deodorize and is harmless to humans. However, it is very unstable and explosive as it is highly concentrated, thus its use in the air clean filed has been limited. Therefore, there is a demand to develop the system to produce a low concentration of chlorine dioxide sustainedly. Here, for a first step in the development of the system on the sustained production of chlorine dioxide, the use of polymer hydrogels was investigated. P(MMA-co-HEMA) hydrogel particles were prepared via dispersion photopolymerization and sodium chlorite and citric acid were loaded respectively in the hydrogel particles. When sodium chlorite and citric acid were reacted with not loaded in the hydrogels, rapid production of chlorine dioxide occurred and the concentration of chlorine dioxide decreased over time. However, when sodium chlorite and citric acid were loaded respectively in the hydrogel particles and reacted, chlorine dioxide was produced slowly and sustainedly because the release of sodium chlorite and citric acid from the hydrogels delayed the reaction between them. The result shows that the use of P(MMA-co HEMA) hydrogels has the potential to develop the system on the sustained production of chlorine dioxide.

• Coupled systems mechanics
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.315-327
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• 2016

Undergoing large volumetric changes upon incremental environmental stimulation, hydrogels are interesting materials which hold immense potentials for utilization in a wide array of applications in diverse industries. Owing to the large magnitudes of deformation it undergoes, swelling induced instability is a commonly observed sight in all types of gels. In this work, we investigate the instability of photo-thermal sensitive hydrogels, produced by impregnating light absorbing nano-particles into the polymer network of a temperature sensitive hydrogel, such as PNIPAM. Earlier works have shown that by using lights of different intensities, these hydrogels follow different swelling trends. We investigate the possibility of utilizing this fact for remote switching applications. The analysis is built on a thermodynamic framework of inhomogeneous large deformation of hydrogels and implemented via commercial finite element software, ABAQUS. Various examples of swelling induced instabilities, and its corresponding dependence on light intensity, will be investigated. We show that the instabilities that arise have their morphologies dependent on the light intensity.

• Polymer Science and Technology
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.330-337
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• 2006

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.728-735
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• 2001

In this study, hydrogels from mixtures of chitosan/poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and chitosan/poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) were prepared by ${\gamma}$-ray irradiation, and the mechanical properties such as gelation, water absorptivity and gel strength were examined to evaluate the applicability of these for wound dressing. The PVA : chitosan and PVP : chitosan ratio were in the range of 97:3 ~ 90:10, and the solid concentration of PVA/chitosan and PVP/chitosan solution were 15 wt%. Gamma irradiation with doses of 25, 35, 50, 60 and 70 kGy, was exposed to mixtures of PVA/chitosan and PVP/chitosan to evaluate the effect of irradiation dose. Gel content and gel strength increased as chitosan concentrations in PVA/chitosan and PVP/chitosan decreased, and as irradiation dose increased. Swelling degree increased as chitosan concentrations in PVP/chitosan and PVA/chitosan increased, and as irradiation dose decreased.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.349-355
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• 2007

Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylonitrile) [P(NIPAAm-co-AN)] copolymers with AN content of up to 10 mol% and their hydrogels were synthesized using water as a reaction medium, and the effects of AN unit incorporation on the critical gel transition temperature(CGTT) and swelling behaviors of the hydrogels were investigated. The CGTT of the copolymer hydrogel was $30{\sim}32\;^{\circ}C$, decreasing with increasing AN content. Below CGTT, swelling rate and equilibrium swelling ratio of the copolymer hydrogel decreased with increasing AN content. On the other hand, it exhibited faster deswelling and lower equilibrium deswelling ratio with increasing AN content above CGTT.