BIOCOMPATIBLE HYDROGELS OF CONTROLLED HYDROPHOBICITY FROM COPOLYMERS OF N-VINYL-2-PYRROLIDONE AND FURFURYL METHACRYLATE

Biocompatible copolymers of N-vinylpyrrolidone (P) and furfuryl methac rylate (F) were prepared by free radical polymerization in N,N-dimethy lformamide solution at 50 degrees C, using 2,2'-azobisisobutyronitrile as initiator, at low and high conversion. The microstructure of copol ymers prepared at low conversion was determined from the composition d ata by the application of statistical relationships, considering the t erminal copolymerization model of Mayo-Lewis, whereas for high convers ion copolymers the noticeable difference between the reactivity of F a nd P was taken into consideration. The swelling behaviour of films pre pared from solutions of copolymers with different composition was foll owed gravimetrically and the diffusion of water was analysed on the ba sis of the stress relaxation model of copolymer chains. The results ob tained are in good agreement with second-order diffusion kinetics, sho wing that the hydrophilic character of the films is controlled mainly by the content of P in the copolymer systems and the distribution of c omonomeric units along the copolymer systems.