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

C. SANZ PITA; P.C. CARACCIOLO; G.A. ABRAHAM; J. GIRONÉS MOLERA; J.A. MÉNDEZ; M.A. PELACH

Granada

Congreso; European Polymer Congress (EPF 2011); 2011

Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología de Polímeros (ICTP-CSIC)

Since the 60?s, polyurethanes have been playing a key role in the development of biomedical devices due to their versatility, mechanical properties and excellent tissue compatibility. 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.