Visible light polymerization of polyethylene glycol (peg) hydrogels

A method of generating a visible light photopolymerized hydrogel, comprising:

• a) providing a composition, comprising:
• i) Tris(bipyridine)ruthenium(II) chloride ([Ru(bpy)3]Cl2);
• ii) a photoinitiator;
• iii) a co-initiator;
• iv) a di-thiol-terminated cross-linker;
• and
• v) at least one cysteine-terminated arginine-glycine-asparate (RGD) peptide;
• b) providing a multi-armed poly(ethylene glycol) norbornene;
• c) providing a tissue culture treated polystyrene surface;
• and
• d) photopolymerizing said multi-armed poly(ethylene glycol) norbornene with visible light in the presence of said composition to form said visible light photopolymerized hydrogel.

A method of encapsulating a one or more cells in a hydrogel, comprising:

• a) generating a visible light photopolymerized hydrogel, comprising:
• i) providing a composition, comprising:
• 1) Tris(bipyridine)ruthenium(II) chloride ([Ru(bpy)3]Cl2);
• 2) a photoinitiator;
• 3) a co-initiator;
• 4) a di-thiol-terminated cross-linker;
• and
• 5) at least one cysteine-terminated arginine-glycine-asparate (RGD) peptide;
• ii) providing a multi-armed poly(ethylene glycol) norbornene;
• ii) providing a tissue culture treated polystyrene surface;
• and
• iv) photopolymerizing said multi-armed poly(ethylene glycol) norbornene with visible light in the presence of said composition to form said visible light photopolymerized hydrogel;
• b) providing said one or more cells;
• and
• c) encapsulating said one or more cells in said visible light photopolymerized hydrogel.