Branched/Hyperbranched Copolyesters from Poly(vinyl alcohol) and Citric Acid as Delivery Agents and Tissue Regeneration Scaffolds

Abstract

Multifunctional branched/hyperbranched copolymers from poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and citric acid (CA) are synthesized by varying the mole compositions of PVA and CA and are used as a prospective vehicle for encapsulation and release of bioactive molecules and as a potential scaffold for cell adhesion and growth. The branched architecture is established from spectroscopy and rheological measurements. All the copolymers have shown a lower hydrodynamic size and viscosity than the linear, high molecular weight PVA because of spherical and more compact architecture. Importantly, the size of the highly branched copolymer is found independent of pH which proved that the branch ends are capped with OH groups. Lower viscosity at equivalent solid content, biocompatibility, high antibacterial property, and presence of adequate macromolecular voids make the branched/hyperbranched copolymers a potential platform for encapsulation and release of gentamicin and other bioactive molecules. The macromolecular voids and chain end functionality also promote adhesion and growth of differentiated primary cells as well as undifferentiated stem cells implying that the copolyester can also be used as a potential 2D/3D scaffold for tissue engineering applications.

Single-Step Low-Temperature Synthesis of Carbon Dots for Advanced Multiparametric Bioimaging Probe Applications

“…The resulting CDs exhibit fluorescence properties attributed to quantum confinement, and surface functional groups are introduced by EDA . Hydrochloric acid (HCl) acts as a catalyst, accelerating key reactions and controlling the synthesis pathway . Conclusively, different precursors and their combinations introduce variability in the chemical pathways, leading to variations in the structure, size, quantum yield, and properties of the synthesized CDs.…”

“…30 Hydrochloric acid (HCl) acts as a catalyst, accelerating key reactions and controlling the synthesis pathway. 31 Conclusively, different precursors and their combinations introduce variability in the chemical pathways, leading to variations in the structure, size, quantum yield, and properties of the synthesized CDs. Importantly, the single-step low-temperature synthesis approach along with improved optical and structural properties, as characterized and discussed below, enable this approach to be translated to the semipilot/pilot scale for biosensor-related applications.…”

Study on Temperature-Controlled Branching Behavior with Self-Condensing Atom Transfer Radical Copolymerization of Latent Inimer and Styrene

“…The structure of a polymer, which includes structure unit properties, MW, polydispersity, branching degree, and branch length distribution, determines its performance. , A deep investigation of the influence of branched polymer chain structure on melt rheological properties of random BPS (FBiBPMI-BPS-90 °C; M w MALLS = 111,300 g/mol, Đ = 8.20) and long-chain structure-controllable BPS (FBiBPMI-BPS-70 °C; M w MALLS = 122,500 g/mol, Đ = 8.71) was conducted. The glass transition temperature ( T g ) is a significant property that affects polymer processing and usage performance, as it refers to the temperature at which the transition of amorphous polymers occurs from a glassy to a highly elastic state .…”

Biodegradable Elastomeric Circuit Boards from Citric Acid-based Polyesters

“…Around 200°C, there is additional mass loss up to ~8% in P4, 14% in P6, and 20% in P8, which is inversely correlated to citric acid content in the monomer feed ratio. Increased citric acid content in the monomer feed ratio increases pre-polymer chain branching 68 . Accordingly, the mass loss at 200°C is attributed to thermal degradation of lesser branched, lower molecular weight pre-polymer chains.…”