Preparation and properties of hydrogels based on PEG and isosorbide building blocks with phosphate linkages

Novel hydrogel polymers were prepared by the crosslinking reaction between polyethylene glycol monophosphate ester (PEGP) and isosorbide diglycidyl ether (IDE). The crosslinking reaction involved no solvents and occurred at room temperature without catalyst. Curing kinetics was studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and chemorheometry. Because the three-dimensional network structure of the hydrogel polymers were based on the phosphate linkages, the hydrogels exhibited characteristic degradable properties. Molecular weight of the polyethylene glycol moiety and molar ratios of IDE to PEGP were found to significantly influence swelling and degradation rates of the hydrogels. Results suggest that the obtained hydrogels are potential materials for drug delivery and other biomedical applications. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.