Synthesis, characterization, and hydrolytic degradation behavior of a novel biodegradable pH-sensitive hydrogel based on polycaprolactone, methacrylic acid, and poly(ethylene glycol).

In this work, a new kind of biodegradable pH-sensitive hydrogel was successfully synthesized by UV-initiated free radical polymerization. The obtained hydrogel was characterized by (1)H NMR and FTIR. Swelling behavior in different aqueous media and pH responsivity of the hydrogels were studied in detail as well. With increase in pH from 1.2 to 7.2, swelling ratio of the hydrogel increased. The morphology was observed by scanning electron microscopy, and the hydrolytic degradation behavior was also investigated in this work. Copyright 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.