Effect of AAc-GA content on swelling behaviors of temperature-sensitive PNIPAAm-based hydrogels

Abstract

A series of temperature-sensitive poly(NIPAAm-co-AAc-GA) hydrogels were synthesized by the copolymerization of glycyrrhetinic acid with vinyl monomer (AAc-GA) and N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm) in N, N-dimethylformamide (DMF). Since GA has the specific binding capacity to asialoglycoprotein receptors on the membrane of hepatocyte, the hydrogel with GA could be expected as good candidate for hepatic cell culture. The results showed that macroporous and channel network structure was formed in the hydrogel matrix. With increasing the AAc-GA content, the swelling ratios of hydrogels and lower critical solution temperature (LCST) increased because of the hydrophilic group of AAc-GA and the macroporous structure. In addition, the prepared hydrogels could respond quickly to temperature and exhibited good reversible temperature-responsive characteristics.

Keywords

glycyrrhetinic acid / temperature-responsive / N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm) / hydrogel