RCI Newsletter - Issue XXI | July 2021
Hydrogels
Hydrogels are crosslinked hydrophilic polymers, both natural and synthetic, with high water retention and well-defined structures. They have found multiple applications in medicine from contact lenses, tissue engineering scaffolding and drug delivery. New targets now include catastrophic injury remediation and cosmetic enhancements. Hydrogels’ unique combination of biocompatibility and ease of use makes them ideal building blocks for novel products for defense/military markets such as body armor and field wound treatment. Whether it is a building block or polymer backbone synthetic challenge, derivatization of the polymer base to prepare a series of novel analogs, or an associated end polymer characterization challenge, the Richman Chemical (RCI) team possesses a wealth of successful hydrogel commercialization experience. The following case studies illustrate our contribution to this field.
Recent examples include RCI collaborating with a multi-national medical device manufacturer to develop a poly (acrylic acid) based co-polymer hydrogel for an innovative medical device. For use in a Class III Medical Device the hydrogel needed to meet stringent physical performance endpoints, as well as chemical specifications including swelling, impurity, particle size, and cross-linking. Within three months of the initial engagement, RCI delivered a scaled-up prototype which met all requirements. The hydrogel is currently undergoing biocompatibility testing in support of commercial approval.
In another collaboration, a VC-funded Bay Area medical device startup contacted RCI needing optimization and scale-up of its proprietary co-polymer hydrogel synthesis process. Not only was RCI successful at scaling the process, but also improved cycle times and significantly reduced reaction by-products and impurities. Within two months, RCI replicated the base chemistry, optimized and scaled the process accordingly, and delivered product samples for performance testing. This hydrogel is now entering the second phase of development (GMP qualification) with both the economics and GMP-compliance components dramatically improved as a result of RCI’s contributions.
These two examples represent only a fraction of our experience within the ever-expanding hydrogel technology space. Please contact us regarding your challenging, hydrogel-focused outsourcing requirement!
Tetradecylphosphonic Acid (TDPA) Bulk Supply
for the Electronics and Display Industries
Quantum Dots
Tetradecylphosphonic Acid (TDPA) represents a critical raw material used in high-tech display and other electronics-based applications. Richman Chemical (RCI) has proven itself a reliable supplier of customized TDPA (quantities and purities) to such markets for the better part of two decades.
Applications-wise, TDPA forms a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) to functionalize a variety of nanoparticles. For example, TDPA caps copper nanoparticles to protect them from oxidation. It also coats cesium lead bromide (CsPbBr3) perovskite quantum dots crucial to the production of white light emitting diodes (wLED). And, the critical raw material plays an important role in the synthesis of cadmium sulfate (CdS) cores used for the fabrication of cadmium selenium (CdSe)/CdS core Quantum Dots (QDs) for premium electronic display markets. Please contact us immediately if a high-quality and reliable TDPA supply is critical to your supply chain!…To learn more Click Here.
To benefit from Richman Chemical’s more than 3 decades of expertise, contact Christopher Kulp, Chief Commercial Officer, at (215) 628-2946 ext 3 or via email at clk@richmanchemical.com. For more information regarding our custom service offerings, CLICK HERE.
Richman Chemical Inc.(RCI) was founded in 1988 and pioneered the independent outsourcing model. It is the only company in the market that provides its services throughout many markets including biotech, pharmaceutical and medical devices, specialty chemicals, nanotechnology, food and beverage, and flavor and fragrance.
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