Polyethylene glycol fumarate/acrylated-silica nanocomposite: synthesis, characterization and in-vitro evaluation.

To make potential the biodegradable polyethylene glycol (PEGO) toward photocrosslinking, it was cooligomerized with fumaryl chloride by esterification reaction. The obtained viscous liquid injectable macromere, OPEGF, was characterized by FTIR and GPC. In another reaction, nanosilica was treated with acryloyl chloride to obtain silica-AC nanopowder and subsequently dispersed in the OPEGO matrix in 1 and 2 wt.% in the presence of either 1,4-butanediol dimethacrylate (BDM) or 1,12-dodecanediol dimethacrylate (DDM) as reactive diluent. The obtained slurries were photocured by blue light irradiation and the characteristics of prepared nanocomposites as well as crosslinked OPEGF were studied via XRD, TEM, tensile, equilibrium swelling and cell culture tests. XRD patterns revealed amorphous nature of all samples. TEM and Si mapping pictures demonstrated good dispersion of silica-AC at nano level (particle size of 20–30nm) in the fabricated samples. Tensile test disclosed a noticeable improvement in mechanical properties of the nanocomposites by increasing in nanofiller level. Equilibrium swelling study revealed that the presence of nanosilica and reactive diluent improved the crosslinking phenomenon. Finally, cell culture test evidenced higher biocompatibility of the samples containing silica-AC nanofiller and BDM reactive diluent. As the consequence of employed tests, designed nanocomposites can be considered as capable candidates for biomedical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]