Synthesis of novel thermo- and redox-sensitive polypeptide hydrogels

Multi-responsive hydrogels have recently received considerable attention for bioapplications. Here, novel temperature- and redox-responsive polypetide hydrogels have been developed. Thermo-sensitive hydrogels based on poly(ethyleneglycol)- block -poly(γ-propargyl- l -glutamate) (PEG-PPLG) were first synthesized by the ring opening polymerization of γ-propargyl- l -glutamate N -carboxyanhydride (PLG-NCA) with amino group terminated PEG monomethyl ether (mPEG-NH 2 ) as macroinitiator and were then functionalized via the ‘thiol-yne’ click reaction between the propargyl pendents and the thiol-containing 1-propanethiol. The sol − gel phase transition of the obtained copolymer aqueous solution in response to temperature change was studied. The mass loss of the hydrogel in vitro was accelerated in the presence of H 2 O 2 , exhibiting a redox-responsive property. Further, the methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium viability results revealed that this polypetide hydrogel has excellent biocompatibility, presenting potential applications in the biomedical field. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry