(701a) Nanostructured Hydrogels Through Photopolymerization in Lyotropic Liquid Crystal Templates

Polymeric hydrogels with ordered structures on the nanometer size scale can produce significant increases in transport and mechanical properties useful in a growing number of applications ranging from drug delivery to tissue scaffolds.  A simple method of generating nanostructure in organic polymers utilizes self-assembling lyotropic liquid crystals (LLCs) as photopolymerization platforms to control polymer nanostructure.  The LLC network structure can greatly improve the transport properties of polymers by directing the diffusion of molecules through the ordered polymer domains.  Furthermore, the ordered structure generated through photopolymerization in LLC templates also has a significant impact on polymer mechanical properties.  Large increases in glass transition temperature and modulus are observed in LLC nanostructured systems compared to isotropic polymers of the same chemical composition.  These results may be utilized to synthesize polymers with improved properties for use in a growing number of advanced biological applications that will be discussed including stimuli response, drug delivery, and tissue engineering.