Investigating the rheological and hydrophilic behavior of polyethylene glycol (monomethyl ether)-maleic anhydride

In the last two decades, many advances have been made in oncology and drug delivery systems, especially in cancer treatment, but polyethylene glycol (PEG) is still the most widely used in drug delivery systems. Among the advantages of polyethylene glycol compared to other polymer carriers, we can point out to its rapid degradation and elimination as well as low therapeutic index in the body. To be able to load different drugs with different functional groups on polyethylene glycol, it must be modified with compounds that play the role of linkers. In this study, modified mPEG with maleic anhydride led to an increase in hydrophilicity, and a decrease in complex viscosity, and loss and storage moduli.