Biodegradable poly(ether ester urethane)urea elastomers based on poly(ether ester) triblock copolymers and putrescine: synthesis, characterization and cytocompatibility

Polymers with elastomeric mechanical properties, tunable biodegradation properties and cytocompatibility would be desirable for numerous biomedical applications. Toward this end a series of biodegradable poly(ether ester urethane)urea elastomers (PEEUUs) based on poly(ether ester) triblock copolymers were synthesized and characterized. Poly(ether ester) triblock copolymers were synthesized by ring-opening polymerization of P.-caprolactone with polyethylene glycol (PEG). PEEUUs were synthesized from these triblock copolymers and butyl diisocyanate, with putrescine as a chain extender. PEEUUs exhibited low glass transition temperatures and possessed tensile strengths ranging from 8 to 20 M Pa and breaking strains from 325% to 560%. Increasing PEG length or decreasing poly(caprolactone) length in the triblock segment increased PEEUU water absorption and biodegradation rate. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells cultured in a medium supplemented with PEEUU biodegradation solution suggested a lack of degradation product cytotoxicity. Endothelial cell adhesion to PEEUUs was less than 60% of tissue culture polystyrene and was inversely related to PEEUU hydrophilicity. Surface modification of PEEUUs with ammonia gas radio-frequency glow discharge and subsequent immobilization of the cell adhesion peptide Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser increased endothelial adhesion to a level equivalent to tissue culture polystyrene. These biodegradable PEEUUs thus possessed properties that would be amenable to applications where high strength and flexibility would be desirable and exhibited the potential for tuning with appropriate triblock segment selection and surface modification. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.