Triblock P(D,L)LA-PEG-P(D,L)LA copolymer hydrogels with a variable ratio of hydrophilic and hydrophobic blocks

A series of novel hydrogels were prepared via the solvent replacement method, employing triblock copolymers of D,L-lactide and ethylene glycol. These hydrogels demonstrated a prominent capacity to maintain and preserve their structural integrity; the resulting hydrogel materials exhibited a high elastic modulus, ranging from 7 ± 1 to 37 ± 4 kPa, depending on their composition. The network of hard blocks in these hydrogels was found to be well ordered, revealing a long period, detected by small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS); the order parameter value depends on polylactide chain length.