Porous Polymer Scaffolds based on Cross-Linked Poly-EGDMA and PLA: Manufacture, Antibiotics Encapsulation, and In Vitro Study

Abstract

Porous polymer materials derived from poly(ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) (poly-EGDMA) and antibiotic containing polylactide (PLA) are obtained for the first time. Porous poly-EGDMA monoliths with a system of open interconnected pores are synthesized by a visible light-induced radical polymerization of EGDMA in the presence of 70 wt% of porogenic agent, e.g., 1-butanol, 1-hexanol, 1-octanol, or cyclohexanol. The porosity of the obtained polymers is 75-78%. A modal pore size depends on the nature of the porogen and varies from 0.5 µm (cyclohexanol) to 12 µm (1-butanol). The polymer matrix made with 1-butanol features the presence of pores ranging from 1 to 100 µm. The pore surface of poly-EGDMA matrices is inlayered with poly-D,L-lactide (M_n 23 × 10³ Da, PDI 1.31). The PLA-modified poly-EGDMA retains a porous structure that is similar to the initial poly-EGDMA but with improved strength characteristics. The presence of antibiotic containing PLA ensures a high and continuous antibacterial activity of the hybrid polymeric material for 7 days. The nontoxicity of all the porous matrices studied makes them promising for clinical tests as osteoplastic materials.

Keywords: antibiotics; biocompatibility; photopolymerization; polylactide; scaffolds.