posted on 2022-06-29, 20:10authored byPetra Utroša, Špela Gradišar, Ozgun Can Onder, Ema Žagar, David Pahovnik
Synthetic polypeptides
and aliphatic polyesters represent promising
materials in biomedical applications due to their degradability and
biocompatibility. In this work, we investigated the preparation and
properties of porous synthetic polypeptide–polyester materials
prepared by thiol–ene photopolymerization of allyl-functionalized
star macromonomers based on poly(γ-benzyl-l-glutamate)
(PBLG) and poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL). We copolymerized the
macromonomers in the continuous phase of high internal phase emulsions
(HIPEs) to obtain highly porous polyHIPEs. We demonstrated that the
PBLG polyHIPE is a stiffer material compared to the softer PCL polyHIPE,
while the copolyHIPEs composed of both components have a combination
of thermomechanical properties that can be tuned by varying the chemical
composition. Moreover, using a thiol–ene HIPE-templating approach,
we were able to prepare a bilayered PBLG–PCL polyHIPE consisting
of two chemically and mechanically distinct layers covalently bonded
with a thin and robust interface while maintaining the typical polyHIPE
morphology throughout the material.