Synthesis and gelation properties of poly(2-alkyl-2-oxazoline) based thermo-gels

A series of new thermo-gelling polymers based on thermo-responsive poly(2-alkyl-2-oxazoline)s has been prepared by grafting different poly(2-alkyl-2-oxazolines) onto a polar carboxymethylcellulose backbone. Thermo-reversible gelation is observed at low concentrations (less than 5% by weight of thermo-gelling polymer). Rheology reveals that these polymers show tuneable gelation temperatures, which vary with concentration and poly(2-oxazoline) composition. This allows the gelation point to be adjusted to biologically relevant temperatures, offering a novel material with potential applications in areas such as drug delivery and tissue engineering.