Synthesis and mechanical properties of interpenetrating networks of polyhydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate and polyhydroxyethyl methacrylate

Naturally occurring, biocompatible, and biodegradable polyhydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate (PHBV), and synthetic, nondegrading polyhydroxyethylmethacrylate (PHEMA) membranes were prepared and their mechanical properties were studied. Their performances were compared with the interpenetrating networks (IPN) prepared by photopolymerization of HEMA in the presence of PHBV. The modulus of elasticity, failure stress and failure strain indicated that the IPNs are viscoelastic with properties closer to PHEMA but much stronger than PHEMA homopolymers. Incorporation of PHBV (7, 14 and 22% HV) affected the mechanical properties positively. Increasing the PHBV content increased the modulus of elasticity and failure stress nearly in all samples tested. PHBV (7, 14, and 22% HV, 300 mg) samples showed an approximately 17–30 fold increase in terms of modulus of elasticity and 7–10 fold increase in terms of failure stress. The scanning electron micrographs of the membranes showed that the PHEMA membra-nes are more porous than the PHBV membranes but the IPN structure displayed channels on the membrane surface indicating that HEMA polymerization was achieved by using the PHBV as a scaffold. With the use of the present technique, it is possible to synthesize supramolecular structures from molecules that are not compatible and miscible with each other.