Controlling the Thermosensitive Gelation Properties of Poly(organophosphazenes) by Blending

Summary: After synthesizing both hard poly(organophosphazenes), which acted as strong hydrogels at a temperature below 37 °C, and soft poly(organophosphazenes), which displayed the opposite properties, we blended the polymers. When these polymers were blended at an appropriate ratio, the blended aqueous solution changed into a transparent hydrogel with improved mechanical properties at a temperature of 37 °C. According to DSC and IR measurements, the two polymers blended homogeneously and exhibited a behavior characteristic of a completely different copolymer. An aqueous poly(organophosphazene) solution at room temperature (left) is reversibly and rapidly transformed into a transparent hydrogel at body temperature (right) when a hard poly(organophosphazene) is blended with a soft one at an appropriate ratio. image An aqueous poly(organophosphazene) solution at room temperature (left) is reversibly and rapidly transformed into a transparent hydrogel at body temperature (right) when a hard poly(organophosphazene) is blended with a soft one at an appropriate ratio.