Properties of Poly(ethylene glycol)-Based Bioelastomers

In this article, a series of poly(ether ester) bioelastomers, poly(PEG-co-CA)s (PECs), were synthesized by the melt polycondensation of citric acid (CA) and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) with molecular weights of 150, 200, 300, and 400. The measurements of the mechanical properties of the PEC series testified that these polymers were elastomers with a low hardness and high elongation, and the hydrolytic degradation of polymer films in a buffer of pH 7.4 at 37 degrees C showed that the PECs had excellent degradability. The molecular weight of PEG had a strong influence on the degradation rates, water absorption rates, and mechanical performance of the PECs. The materials are expected to be useful for pressure hemostasis implementation in lacuna and other biomedical applications. (C) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 118: 2442-2447, 2010