Study on Radiation Polymerization of Some Monomers for Possible Use in Biomaterial Applications

Abstract

Attempts were made in this work to design, prepare and characterize smart polymers for the possible use in different biomedical fields such as drug delivery systems for colon specific drug delivery, transdermal drug delivery and smart polymer-biomolecules conjugates. The present work deals with two main categories of smart polymers; pH sensitive hydrogels and temperature/pH sensitive hydrogels. A-ProOMe and maleic anhydride were used to prepare a temperature/pH sensitive polymer. On the other hand two different pH sensitive systems were studied; hydrophobic based ·pH sensitive hydrogel, in which BA and MAAc were used, and pH sensitive hydrogel containing natural polymer, in which Chitosan was added to AAc. y-rays from 6°Co source -as a super clean and environmental friend source for initiation and copolymerization- was used to achieve all the above mentioned intelligent copolymers.

1- Temperature/pH sensitive polymer. In this part, A-ProOMe/MAn linear copolymer was prepared. The effect of the comonomer feed solution composition and irradiation dose on the copolymer yield and the molecular weight of the prepared copolymer was studied. The effect of comonomer feed solution on the copolymer mole fraction was investigated. Also, the effect of copolymer mole fraction on the position and sharpness of LCST was investigated. The pH dependent LCST of the copolymer was also studied. The obtained results in this part can be summarized in the following: