Characteristics of Precipitation-formed Polyethylene Glycol Microgels Are Controlled by Molecular Weight of ReactantsSusan Thompson 1, Jessica Stukel 1, Abrar AlNiemi 1,2, Rebecca Kuntz Willits 1
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Akron, 2Saint Vincent Saint Mary's High School
This work describes the formation of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) microgels via a photopolymerized precipitation reaction. Increasing the PEG molecular weight increased microgel diameter and swelling ratio. Simple adaptations to the PEG microgel precipitation reaction are explored for future applications of microgels as drug delivery vehicles and tissue engineering scaffolds.
