Carbohydrate crosslinked biocompatible polyurethanes: Synthesis,characterization, and drug delivery studies

A series of novel polyurethanes (PUs) with carbohydrate crosslinkers was synthesized. The drug loading and release kinetics were studied by using lamotrigine as a model drug. The polymers were designed in such a way that the drug release was tailored by differences in the stoichiometry of polymers. All the PUs were characterized for thermal and morphological properties by using differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis and scanning electron microscope , respectively. The encapsulation of drug inside PU matrix was confirmed via Fourier transform ‐ infrared (FT‐IR) spectra and scanning electron microscope . The kinetics and release mechanisms were observed to be a function of stoichiometric parameters such as type of crosslinker, polyol/crosslinker ratio and polyol/chain extender ratio. All the PUs were observed to be non‐cytotoxic in normal lung cell line L132. The synthesized PUs exhibited good mechanical strength, tunable release rates and biocompatibility that can be utilized in biomedical applications like wound dressing, biomedical implants , and drug delivery carriers. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 42223.