Poly(methyl ethylene phosphate) hydrogels: Degradable and cell-repellent alternatives to PEG-hydrogels

A degradable and water-soluble polyphosphoester (PPE), namely poly(methyl ethylene phosphate)-dimethacrylate (PMEP-DMA), was synthesized and crosslinked by UV irradiation to prepare PPE-hydrogels. Hydrogels with 10 and 15 wt% of PMEP were prepared after UV-irradiation with an additional 0.2 wt% of photoinitiator. The colorless and transparent PPE hydrogels were studied for their swelling and water uptake. The rheological analysis demonstrated...