Abstract
This study aims to evaluate the effect of external physicochemical factors on the behaviour of hydrogels based on polyethylene glycol maleate (p-EGM) and to assess their potential applicability in sorption-active polymer matrices and biomedical hydrogel systems. This paper presents the results of an investigation into the physicochemical properties of polyethylene glycol maleate and acrylamide solutions in acrylic acid and their cured products. The degree of unsaturation of the initial unsaturated polyester was determined using the bromide–bromate method. The dynamic viscosity of the initial polymer–monomer mixtures was found to be in the range of 0.251–0.697 Pa·s, while the density of the solutions varied from 1.0554 to 1.0996 g/cm3. The density of the cured terpolymers was calculated by the hydrostatic method, and the calculated total volumetric shrinkage did not exceed 15 %. The composition of the obtained terpolymers was confirmed by HPLC analysis. The synthesized hydrogels exhibited a high swelling degree (up to 2898 %) and pronounced sensitivity to environmental pH (4–8) and temperature (35–39 °C), as established by gravimetric measurements. Structural identification was performed using IR and NMR spectroscopy, and the surface morphology was analyzed by SEM. It was demonstrated that an increased acrylic acid content leads to the formation of a more porous polymer network with enhanced water absorption, controllable permeability and structural stability, indicating potential biomedical applicability of the developed materials. Overall, the obtained results suggest that the synthesized hydrogels may be considered promising candidates for potential use in sorption-active polymer matrices and hydrogel-based wound dressing systems.