Synthesis and characterization of crosslinked hyperbranched polyglycidol hydrogel films

Hyperbranched polyglycidol (PGLD) was synthesized via anionic ring-opening polymerization of glycidol using a special anionic initiator with multiple initiation sites. The resultant polymers were characterized by H-1 and C-13-NMR spectra for confirming their structures, which consisted of linear, hyperbranched and dendritic structures. Molecular weight characteristics were determined by means of the gel permeation chromatography (GPC). With the intention of investigating the possibility of broad applications, PGLD hydrogel films were prepared using various crosslinking agents, i.e., glutaraldehyde and some dicarboxylic acids, and their physical properties such as swelling behavior and tensile ( or Young's) modulus were measured and compared.