Polymer Dynamics and Rheology in Designing and Understanding Polymeric Biomaterials for Tissue Engineering Applications

Polymer dynamics is the essence of polymer physics. Understanding polymers from the perspective of polymer dynamics is crucial to rationally design and fabricate novel polymeric systems. Poly(propylene fumarate) (PPF) and poly(propylene fumarate)-copolycaprolactone (PPF-co-PCL) (Fig. 1) are two unsaturated linear polyesters that can be crosslinked through its fumarate double bonds. By varying the composition of PPF-co-PCL, controllable physical properties can be achieved to satisfy various needs in tissue engineering, particularly, bone and nerve regenerations. Both molecular weight dependence and composition dependence of their physical properties are studied in detail using the tools of polymer dynamics and rheology. The aim of this work is not only to supply an extensive library of important properties of these polymers but also to bridge the gap between the polymer theory and practical applications.