In this study, hydrogels were prepared by grafting 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate onto sodium alginate and then crosslinking with poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate. Properties were analyzed according to ratio of crosslinking agent. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the hydrogels were porous structure, and the pore size was about 10 μm. Thermal gravimetric analysis showed that weight loss decreased and water binding capacity was high as the crosslink density increased. Swelling behavior was carried out at pH 7.4 and pH 2.5, with swelling of 400-900% and 150-190%, respectively. Texture analysis was performed according to various swelling media. The hardness of hydrogels swollen in buffer was higher than that of distilled water, and the hardness was higher as the crosslink density increased. As a result, this novel hydrogel has possibilities to be used as biomaterials such as tissue engineering, 3D printer, and drug delivery system by changing swelling medium and crosslinking density.

본 연구에서는 sodium alginate에 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate를 그래프팅 후, poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate로 가교시켜 하이드로젤을 제조하였고, 가교제 비율에 따른 물리화학적 분석을 수행하였다. 주사전자현미경 관찰 결과, 하이드로젤은 다공성의 가교구조를 나타내었고, 공극 크기는 대략 10 μm였다. 열적 중량 분석 결과, 가교 밀도가 증가할수록 중량 감소가 적었고 수분 결합력이 높았다. 팽윤 거동은 pH 7.4와 pH 2.5에서 수행되었고, 각각 400~900%, 150~190%의 팽윤을 보였다. 또한 다양한 팽윤 매질에 따라 텍스처 분석을 수행하였다. 증류수보다 buffer에 팽윤된 하이드로젤이 경도가 높았고, 가교 밀도가 증가할수록 경도가 높았다. 결과적으로, 새롭게 합성된 본 하이드로젤은 팽윤 매질 및 가교 밀도에 변화를 줌으로써 조직공학, 3D 프린터, 약물 전달체 등의 생체 재료로 이용가능성이 있음을 시사한다.

Keywords: alginate, 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate, poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate, hydrogel, radical polymerization