Prof. Pierre-J. Lutz "Poly(ethylene oxide) Based Materials: From Synthesis to Biomedical Applications"

Poly(ethylene oxide), (PEO) is an hydrophilic polymer which exists in various forms and structures and exhibits specific solution and solid state properties. Furthermore, the remarkable biocompatible properties of this polymer have already led to a wide number of biomedical applications.

The first part of the presentation discusses some general aspects of poly(ethylene oxide). The synthesis via living anionic polymerization and the characterization of a series of PEO or PEO based macromonomers fitted, at one or both chain ends, with allyl, undecenyl or methacrylate end-groups will be presented in the second part.

Multifunctional poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) star-polymers constitute a particularly promising class of materials since they represent models for physico-chemical studies, and variable building blocks for the synthesis of structured soluble polymers for amphiphilic networks. Their synthesis refers in most cases to the so-called “core-first” method, in which living cores are used for the anionic polymerization of oxirane. The present work discusses also the synthesis and the properties of star-shaped PEO’s fitted with an octafunctional silsesquioxane core.

Hydrogels based on PEO have been shown to be suitable materials for numerous applications. Among the different approaches to design such hydrogels, the homopolymerization of well-defined bifunctional PEO macromonomers  represents a promising one. In such systems, crosslinking is achieved upon free radical polymerization of the methyl methacrylate units located at both chain ends. Gels were synthesized over a large range of molar masses of the macromonomer precursor. They were investigated swollen to equilibrium in THF, toluene or in water. The mechanical properties of the networks were studied and compared to those of hydrogels obtained by hydrosilylation.

The final part concerns the application of these hydrogels as semi-permeable membranes or as a support for the growth of nervous cells. PEO hydrogels were also tested with respect to their ability to serve as a template for the survival and the growth of hepatocytes.