Hydrophilic macromers and hydrogels comprising the same

Abstract

A composition, suitable for use in producing hydrogel polymer films from which biomedical devices such as contact lenses can be made, comprising at least one hydrophilic silicone macromer. In one aspect, a hydrophilic silicone macromer is of the Formula 1:X—Si(R)(R)O—(Si(R)(R)O)—Si(R)(R)—Y  (1)wherein R, R, RR, Rand Rare independently selected from a monovalent linear, branched, or cyclic radical with 1 to 50 carbon atoms, that can optionally contain a heteroatom or I; I is R—R; Y is a free radical polymerization-effective hydrophilic group with the general structure: R—R—Z; Ris a linking residue from a non-isomerizable hydrosilylation effective terminal olefin comprising the general structure —CH—C(RR)—(CRR), the subscript n is selected from integers from 1 to 10; R, R, and Rcan be selected from hydrogen and a mono-valent hydrocarbon radical with 1 to 10 carbon atoms that optionally contain a heteroatom; Ris selected from a monovalent hydrocarbon radical with 1 to 6 carbon atoms; Ris a spacer group comprising a diavelant hydrophilic organic radical with 0 to 100 carbon atoms and optionally contains heteroatoms, and X is a free radical polymerizable group. The said composition can be polymers and films suitable for use in making contact lenses.