Synthesis, characterization and application of amphiphilic elastomeric polyurethane networks in drug delivery

C.S. PITA; P.C. CARACCIOLO; G.A. ABRAHAM; J. GIRONÉS; J.A. MÉNDEZ; M.A PELÁCH

Granada, España

Congreso; European Polymer Congress EPF 2011, XII Congress of the Specialized Group of Polymers GEP; 2011

European Polymer Federation

Polyurethanes have been extensively studied as biodegradable and/or injectable materials and have found several applications. Polyurethane networks (PUN) are synthesized by incorporating at least one reactant with functionality higher than 2, and depending on their composition PUN can be hydrophilic/hydrophobic, elastomeric/rigid and degradable/non-degradable. Although linear segmented polyurethanes and multiblock copolymers with controlled hydrophilicity have been extensively studied, investigation on hydrophilic crosslinked polyurethanes is limited. PUN composed of hydrophilic and hydrophobic segments can provide controlled swelling and allow homogeneous dispersion of drugs. For this reason, the characteristics of PUN are ideal for the design of controlled drug release systems. However, the use of polyurethanes in this field remains largely unexplored. In this work, a series of crosslinked poly(ester-ether urethane)s with a range of hydrophilic character were synthesized. The effect of composition-morphology on the PUN swelling behavior and their application as drug-delivery vehicles has been investigated.