SYNTHESIS OF HYDROGELS FROM HYDROXYETHYL METHACRYLATE AND MACROMONOMERS OF 2-ETHYL-2-OXAZOLINE

Abstract

Novel hydrogels were synthesized via free-radical polymerization, in mixture of ethanol and wáter, of 2-ethyl-2-oxazoline macromonomers, hydroxyethyl methacrylate and N,N’ metilenobisacrilamida. Polymerization was initiated using the redox initiation system amonium peroxodisulfate and tetramethylethylenediamine (TEMED) at 5°C. The 2-ethyl-2-oxazoline macromonomers (MKA-1 and MKA-2) had vinyl and quaternary ammonium terminal groups and degrees of polymerization of 21,4 and 9,2 units, corresponding to molecular weights of 2455 and 1243 g/mol, respectively. The hydrogels were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), a technique that demonstrates the presence of the EtOXA and hydroxyethyl methacrylate macromonomers within the hydrogel structure. The water absorption of the hydrogels ranged from 1,6 to 5,1 g water/g dry hydrogel, and their production yields exceeded 68%. Hydrogels synthesized with a HEMA/MKA molar ratio of 10 exhibited antibacterial character against the Gram-positive bacterium Staphylococcus aureus.