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Thiol-functionalized nanogels as reactive plasticizers for crosslinked polymer networks.

ABSTRACT: Significant efforts have been expended to mitigate plasticizer migration from crosslinked methacrylic and poly(vinyl chloride) polymer networks by synthesizing reactive plasticizers that can blend homogenously within the networks to reduce polymer property change, acute toxicity and downstream environmental effects of plasticizer migration with limited and varying amount of success. We hypothesized that appropriate thiol-functionalized nanogels synthesized using the same monomers as the parent network to generate highly compact, crosslinked structures will form thermally stable, homogenous networks and perform as optimal reactive plasticizers. Nanogels were synthesized via a thiol-Michael addition solution polymerization and incorporated at different mass ratios within a polyethylene glycol 400 urethane dimethacrylic monomer to form photo-crosslinked networks. While maintaining the inherent hydrolytic stability, thermal stability and biocompatibility of the parent matrix at ~99% acrylic group conversion, the PEG400 urethane dimethacrylic -nanogel networks retained optical clarity with >90% visible light transmission at 20wt% nanogel concentration within the matrix. The addition of the nanogels also enhanced the elongation of the parent matrix by up to 320%, while a 37°C reduction in glass transition temperature (?Tg) and ?50% reduction in modulus was observed. A 52% reduction in the shrinkage stress of the material was also noted. The results indicate that the application of thiol-functionalized nanogels as plasticizers to alter the bulk properties of the parent matrix while mitigating plasticizer migration by covalently crosslinking the nanogels within the polymer matrix provides a simple yet efficient technique to generate network-specific plasticizers with the ability to alter targeted properties within polymers.

SUBMITTER: Saraswathy M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5582010 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Thiol-functionalized nanogels as reactive plasticizers for crosslinked polymer networks.

Saraswathy Manju M Stansbury Jeffrey W JW Nair Devatha P DP

Journal of the mechanical behavior of biomedical materials 20170427

Significant efforts have been expended to mitigate plasticizer migration from crosslinked methacrylic and poly(vinyl chloride) polymer networks by synthesizing reactive plasticizers that can blend homogenously within the networks to reduce polymer property change, acute toxicity and downstream environmental effects of plasticizer migration with limited and varying amount of success. We hypothesized that appropriate thiol-functionalized nanogels synthesized using the same monomers as the parent n ...[more]

PMID: 28648989

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Project description:Biomaterial platforms are an integral part of stem cell biomanufacturing protocols. The collective biophysical, biochemical, and cellular cues of the stem cell niche microenvironment play an important role in regulating stem cell fate decisions. Three-dimensional (3D) culture of stem cells within biomaterials provides a route to present biophysical and biochemical stimuli through cell-matrix interactions and cell-cell interactions via secreted biomolecules. Herein, we describe a maleimide-functionalized gelatin (GelMAL) hydrogel that can be crosslinked via thiol-Michael addition click reaction for the encapsulation of sensitive stem cell populations. The maleimide functional units along the gelatin backbone enables gelation via the addition of a dithiol crosslinker without requiring external stimuli (e.g., UV light, photoinitiator), thereby reducing reactive oxide species generation. Additionally, the versatility of crosslinker selection enables easy insertion of thiol-containing bioactive or bioinert motifs. Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were encapsulated in GelMAL, with mechanical properties tuned to mimic the in vivo bone marrow niche. We report the insertion of a cleavable peptide crosslinker that can be degraded by the proteolytic action of Sortase A, a mammalian-inert enzyme. Notably, Sortase A exposure preserves stem cell surface markers, which are an essential metric of hematopoietic activity used in immunophenotyping. This novel GelMAL system enables a route to produce artificial stem cell niches with tunable biophysical properties, intrinsic cell-interaction motifs, and orthogonal addition of bioactive crosslinks. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: We describe a maleimide-functionalized gelatin hydrogel that can be crosslinked via a thiol-maleimide mediated click reaction to form a stable hydrogel without the production of reactive oxygen species typical in light-based crosslinking. The mechanical properties can be tuned to match the in vivo bone marrow microenvironment for hematopoietic stem cell culture. Additionally, we report inclusion of a peptide crosslinker that can be cleaved via the proteolytic action of Sortase A and show that Sortase A exposure does not degrade sensitive surface marker expression patterns. Together, this approach reduces stem cell exposure to reactive oxygen species during hydrogel gelation and enables post-culture quantitative assessment of stem cell phenotype.

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Thiol-functionalized nanogels as reactive plasticizers for crosslinked polymer networks.

Publications

Thiol-functionalized nanogels as reactive plasticizers for crosslinked polymer networks.

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