POLYMERIC MATERIALS INCLUDING A GLYCOSAMINOGLYCAN NETWORKED WITH A POLYOLEFIN-CONTAINING POLYMER

1 . A polymeric material comprising a glycosaminoglycan networked with a polyolefin-containing polymer, wherein said glycosaminoglycan networked with a polyolefin-containing polymer is synthesized by reacting a glycosaminoglycan constituent with a polyolefin constituent,

wherein said glycosaminoglycan constituent comprises a modified glycosaminoglycan, and

wherein said polyolefin constituent comprises an alternating copolymer of a polyolefin with an acid anhydride.

2 . The polymeric material according to claim 1 , wherein the glycosaminoglycan is selected from the group consisting of hyaluronan, chondroitin sulfates, dermatan sulfates, keratan sulfates, heparan sulfates, and heparin.

3 . The polymeric material according to claim 1 , wherein the polyolefin is polyethylene.

4 . The polymeric material according to claim 1 , wherein the acid anhydride is maleic anhydride.

5 . The polymeric material according to claim 1 , wherein the polyolefin constituent comprises an alternating copolymer of polyethylene with maleic anhydride.

6 . The polymeric material according to claim 1 , wherein the polyolefin constituent is selected from the group consisting of poly(ethylene-alt-maleic anhydride), poly(styrene-alt-maleic anhydride), poly(isobutylene-alt-maleic anhydride), poly(maleic anhydride-alt-1-octadecene), poly(methyl vinyl ether-alt-maleic anhydride), and derivatives thereof.

7 . The polymeric material according to claim 1 , wherein the polyolefin-containing polymer is selected from the group consisting of poly(ethylene-alt-maleic anhydride), poly(styrene-alt-maleic anhydride), poly(isobutylene-alt-maleic anhydride), poly(maleic anhydride-alt-1-octadecene), poly(methyl vinyl ether-alt-maleic anhydride), and derivatives thereof.

8 . The polymeric material according claim 1 , wherein the glycosaminoglycan constituent comprises a glycosaminoglycan modified with a paraffin ammonium cation dissociated from a salt selected from the group consisting of alkyltrimethylammonium chloride, alkylamine hydrochloride, alkylpyridinium chloride, alkyldimethylbenzyl ammonium chloride, alkyltrimethylammonium bromide, alkylamine hydrobromide, alkylpyridinium bromide, and alkyldimethylbenzyl ammonium bromide.

9 . The polymeric material according to claim 1 , wherein said polymeric material comprises a structure as follows:

10 . The polymeric material according to claim 1 further comprising:

a reinforcing agent selected from the group consisting of an inorganic reinforcing agent and an organic reinforcing agent.

11 . The polymeric material according to claim 10 , wherein the inorganic reinforcing agent comprises silica.

12 . The polymeric material according to claim 10 , wherein the organic reinforcing agent is selected from the group consisting of carbon nanotubes, carbon nanofibers, chitosan nanofibers, demineralized bone matrix (DBM), collagen, silk, and cellulose.

13 . A hydrogel comprising the polymeric material according to claim 1 .

14 . A method of synthesizing a polymeric material comprising a glycosaminoglycan networked with a polyolefin-containing polymer, said method comprising:

reacting a glycosaminoglycan constituent with a polyolefin constituent under conditions effective to yield a polymeric material comprising a glycosaminoglycan networked with a polyolefin-containing polymer,

wherein said glycosaminoglycan constituent comprises one or more modified glycosaminoglycans, and

wherein said polyolefin constituent comprises an alternating copolymer of a polyolefin with an acid anhydride.

15 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein said reacting step comprises an esterification reaction between the glycosaminoglycan constituent and the polyolefin constituent.

16 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein the glycosaminoglycan is selected from the group consisting of hyaluronan, chondroitin sulfates, dermatan sulfates, keratan sulfates, heparan sulfates, and heparin.

17 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein the polyolefin is polyethylene.

18 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein the acid anhydride is maleic anhydride.

19 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein the polyolefin constituent comprises an alternating copolymer of polyethylene with maleic anhydride.

20 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein the polyolefin constituent is selected from the group consisting of poly(ethylene-alt-maleic anhydride), poly(styrene-alt-maleic anhydride), poly(isobutylene-alt-maleic anhydride), poly(maleic anhydride-alt-1-octadecene), poly(methyl vinyl ether-alt-maleic anhydride), and derivatives thereof.

21 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein the polyolefin-containing polymer is selected from the group consisting of poly(ethylene-alt-maleic anhydride), poly(styrene-alt-maleic anhydride), poly(isobutylene-alt-maleic anhydride), poly(maleic anhydride-alt-1-octadecene), poly(methyl vinyl ether-alt-maleic anhydride), and derivatives thereof.

22 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein the glycosaminoglycan constituent comprises a glycosaminoglycan modified with a paraffin ammonium cation dissociated from a salt selected from the group consisting of alkyltrimethylammonium chloride, alkylamine hydrochloride, alkylpyridinium chloride, alkyldimethylbenzyl ammonium chloride, alkyltrimethylammonium bromide, alkylamine hydrobromide, alkylpyridinium bromide, and alkyldimethylbenzyl ammonium bromide.

23 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein said polymeric material comprises the glycosaminoglycan and the polyolefin-containing polymer covalently bound to one another.

24 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein said polymeric material comprises a structure as follows:

25 . The method according to claim 14 further comprising:

incubating the glycosaminoglycan constituent and the polyolefin constituent in a crosslinker constituent.

26 . The method according to claim 25 , wherein said crosslinker constituent is effective to crosslink with an alcohol group of the glycosaminoglycan constituent.

27 . The method according to claim 26 , wherein said crosslinker constituent is selected from the group consisting of diisocyanates, polyisocyanates, hexamethylenediisocyanate (HMDI), methylene diphenyl diisocyanate, toluene diisocyanate, isophorone diisocyanate, divinyl sulphone, poly(ethylene glycol) diglycidyl ether, phosphoryl chloride, glutaraldehyde, dialdehyde via Passerini reaction, diamine via Ugi reaction, and carbodiimide.

28 . The method according to claim 14 further comprising:

combining the glycosaminoglycan constituent and the polyolefin constituent with a reinforcing agent.

29 . The method according to claim 28 , wherein the reinforcing agent is selected from the group consisting of an inorganic reinforcing agent and an organic reinforcing agent.

30 . The method according to claim 29 , wherein the inorganic reinforcing agent comprises an inorganic agent selected from the group consisting of silica, alumina, zirconia, calcium phosphates, and hydroxyapatite.

31 . The method according to claim 29 , wherein the organic reinforcing agent is selected from the group consisting of carbon nanotubes, carbon nanofibers, chitosan nanofibers, demineralized bone matrix (DBM), collagen, silk, and cellulose.

32 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein said glycosaminoglycan constituent comprises a modified hyaluranon, wherein said polyolefin constituent comprises poly(ethylene-alt-maleic anhydride), and wherein said reacting step comprises a synthetic scheme as follows:

33 . A hydrogel comprising the polymeric material produced according to the method of claim 14 .

34 - 67 . (canceled)