Poly(2-methoxystyrene)s (P2MS) were synthesized using n-BuLi in THF and toluene at various temperatures. At −20°C and higher temperatures, toluene was an effective polymerization solvent for synthesizing poly(2-methoxystyrene). Under these conditions, polymers with good yields and reasonable molecular weight distributions were obtained. Polymers synthesized under all conditions were isotactic; the most highly isotactic polymer was obtained in toluene at −20°C. The m (isotactic dyad) content of the polymers synthesized in toluene at 0°C and −20°C was 0.65 and 0.74, respectively. Optically active helical (+) and (−) P2MS were synthesized by asymmetric polymerization utilizing (+) or (−) [2,3-dimethoxy1,4(dimethylamino)butane] (DDB)/tolyl lithium initiating complex in toluene. Asymmetric polymerizations were also carried out at 0°C to synthesize optically active polymers. The optical rotations of the polymers were found to be dynamic and reversible, strongly suggesting contribution of the chiral higher order...

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative disease characterized by articular cartilage (AC) degradation that affects more than 30 million people in the USA. OA is managed with symptom-alleviating medications. Matrix-assisted autologous chondrocyte transplantation (MACT) is a tissue-engineered option, but current products are expensive and lack mechanical tunability or processability to match defect mechanical properties and anatomical shapes. Here, we explore the efficacy of a biocompatible hydrogel-based scaffold composed of sodium alginate, gelatin, and gum Arabic—referred to by SA–GEL–GA—to support bovine articular chondrocyte (bAChs) proliferation, pericellular matrix (PCM), and extracellular matrix (ECM) production. bAChs were grown for 45 days in SA–GEL–GA. Their viability, their live/dead status, histological staining, biochemical assays for glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) and collagen, atomic force microscopy (AFM) imaging, and immunofluorescence staining of collagen I, collagen II, aggrecan, and CD44 were assessed. We found that SA–GEL–GA was not cytotoxic, induced cellular proliferation by 6.1-fold while maintaining a round morphology, and supported ECM deposition by producing 3.9-fold more GAG compared to day 0. bAChs transformed into chondrons and produced a PCM enriched with collagen II (3.4-fold), aggrecan (1.7-fold), and CD44 (1.3-fold) compared to day 0. In summary, SA–GEL–GA supported the proliferation, ECM production, and PCM production of bAChs in vitro.