Preparation of heterodifunctional polyethyleneglycols: Network formation, characterization, and cell culture analysis

Polyethyleneglycols (PEG) are employed extensively in the development of bi omaterials; however, the hydroxyl groups in PEG-diols have very limited che mical activity, We developed a synthesis scheme for a library of heterodifu nctional PEG (hPEG) with two distinct terminal moieties to improve the reac tivity and physicochemical properties of PEG. hPEG were employed in the for mulation of polymer networks with various surface physicochemical propertie s and utilized to study cell-material interaction. Extensive NMR and HPLC a nalyses confirmed the chemical structure of hPEG. The hydrophilicity of the polymer network was predominantly dependent on (he hPEG concentration with the molecular weight and terminal functional group playing lesser roles. A dherent human fibroblast density on the network remained constant with incr easing hPEG concentration in the network formulation but decreased rapidly on networks containing 0.8-1.25 g ml(-1) of hPEG. This trend was independen t of the hPEG terminal moiety and molecular weight. No adherent cell was ob served on all films containing 2.5 g ml(-1) or more of hPEG.