pH responsive self-healing hydrogels formed by boronate-catechol complexation
AssigneeNorthwestern University
InventorsPhillip B. Messersmith, Lihong He, Dominic E. Fullenkamp
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Abstract
Biocompatible hydrogels made from cross-linked catechol-borate ester polymers are disclosed, along with methods of synthesizing and using such hydrogels. The hydrogels of the present invention are prepared by boronic acid-catechol complexation between catechol-containing macromonomers and boronic acid-containing cross-linkers. The resulting hydrogels are pH-responsive and self-healing, and can be used in a number of different biomedical applications, including in surgical implants, in surgical adhesives, and in drug delivery systems is data provides further evidence of the viability of using the disclosed hydrogels for in vivo in biomedical applications.
Claims11
A biocompatible pH-responsive self-healing hydrogel comprising a cross-linked polymer comprising:
- (a) a plurality of macromonomers each comprising at least four terminal catechol moieties and having a molecular weight of 1,000 to 20,000 Daltons;
- and
- (b) one or more cross-linkers each comprising two or more terminal boronic acid moieties;
- wherein the catechol moieties of the macromonomers are covalently bonded to the boronic acid moieties of the cross linker to form a tetrahedral borate ester, wherein the macromonomers are cross-linked into the polymer when the macromonomers are at physiological pH or above and the polymer dissociates into the macromonmers at pH 3.0.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.