The Development of Stimuli-responsive Hydrogels from Self-Immolative Polymers
Abstract
Self-immolative polymers (SIPs) are molecules that depolymerize in a controlled manner due to the cleavage of stimuli-responsive end groups. End-caps can be cleaved with stimuli such as light, heat, pH changes, and redox conditions. Poly(ethyl glyoxylate) (PEtG) is a SIP that can be modified to adjust its physical and thermal properties. This makes it a suitable platform for various applications that can benefit from stimuli-mediated degradation, such as tissue engineering and drug delivery. This thesis explored the inclusion of functional groups that enable water solubility and cross-linking through click reactions, resulting in a self-immolative hydrogel that degrades upon UV light irradiation. The synthesis steps were confirmed using various techniques, including NMR spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, and size exclusion chromatography. It was found that formulations of higher polymer content produced hydrogels that degraded upon UV light irradiation, showing promise for future applications. Further investigation into these hydrogels' physical properties is warranted to understand their potential applications fully.