PolyHIPE loading with hydroxyapatite for biomedical applications

Abstract

The polymerization of high internal phase emulsions (HIPEs) is a techniqueto create highly porous material, polyHIPE polymer. The pore size of polyHIPE porous foams can be changed from the sub-micron to micron range by varying the chemical composition of the emulsion and monomer ratio (styrene). One application for polyHIPE, which has high porosity with interconnected pores and 3D architecture is a scaffold for tissue engineering. PolyHIPE can fullfill all of the above mentioned requirements for an ideal scaffolds. In this study, polyHIPEs were modified by loading with hydroxyapatite in order to increase biocompatibility of the polyHIPE with various cells. Moreover, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, which was used as a crosslinking comonomer, had good biocompatibility. Therefore poly(styrene/ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) polyHIPE can be considered as a viable material for tissue engineering.