Reinforced conductive polyester based on itaconic acids, glycerol and polypyrrole with potential for electroconductive tissue restoration

Abstract

Modified chemically crosslinked polyesters as soft and electroconductive materials have investigated for tissue engineering applications. In this work, electroconductivity, thermal stability, and mechanical properties of synthesized Poly (glycerol-sebacate-itaconic) (PGSIT) by the solvent-free method was studied by incorporating polypyrrole (PPy) and clay within the PGSIT matrix. Hydrogen bonds between PGSIT and PPy lead to a homogeneous dispersion of clay and PPy within the PGSIT matrix. The evaluations indicated that PPy and clay could raise the conductivity of PGSIT from 5.9 × 10−11 S/cm to 1.4 × 10−4 S/cm, Young's modulus from 0.19 MPa to 0.9 MPa, tensile strain to 0.91 MPa from 0.25 MPa, and improved the thermal stability and hydrophilicity of the matrix. The PGSIT-PPy-clay composite might have the potential as electroconductive bio-elastomer in tissue engineering applications.