Green synthesis of a temperature sensitive hydrogel

A thermoresponsive hydrogel, poly(N-isopropylacrylamide), PNIPAAm, with possible applications in drug delivery, tissue engineering and as smart membranes with tuned permeability, was synthesised in supercritical carbon dioxide. A strategy of solvent-free impregnation/coating of polymeric surfaces with PNIPAAm is also suggested, in order to further extend the applications of membranes or porous bulky systems. In this work, in situ synthesis of PNIPAAm within a chitosan scaffold was tested as a proof of concept, in order to produce smart partially-biodegradable scaffolds for tissue engineering applications.