Designing polyethylene glycol (PEG) - plasticized membranes of poly(vinyl alcohol-g-methyl methacrylate) and investigation of water sorption and blood compatibility behaviors

Polyethylene glycol (PEG)-based semi-IPNs have been widely used as hydrogel matrices in tissue engineering applications because of their inherent hydrophilicity and biocompatibility. Today, synthetic scaffolds are being widely used in tissue engineering and allied applications because they offer the ability to precisely control the mechanical properties, morphology, and blood compatibility of the materials. In this regard, an attempt has been made to develop scaffolds membranes by judiciously combining PEG, polyvinyl alcohol, and polymethyl methacrylate. The so prepared hydrogel membranes were undertaken for structural, morphological, and thermal characterization using FTIR, scanning electron microscope (SEM), and DSC techniques, respectively. The hydrogel films were investigated for water sorption capacity under various experimental conditions such as changing chemical composition of the membrane, different pH, and temperature of the swelling media and varying simulated biological fluids. The hydrogel membranes were also studied for their catholicity and in vitro blood compatibility property by following several tests such as blood clot formation, percent haemolysis, and protein adsorption.