ISSN:
0887-624X
Keywords:
aspartic acid anhydride
;
poly(ethylene glycol)
;
poly(L-aspartic acid-co-PEG)
;
biodegradable polymers
;
Chemistry
;
Polymer and Materials Science
Source:
Wiley InterScience Backfile Collection 1832-2000
Topics:
Chemistry and Pharmacology
Notes:
The melt polycondensation reaction of the prepolymer prepared from N-(benzyloxycarbonyl)-L-aspartic acid anhydride (N-CBz-L-aspartic acid anhydride) and low molecular weight poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) using titanium isopropoxide (TIP) as a catalyst produced the new biodegradable poly(L-aspartic acid-co-PEG). This new copolymer had pendant amine functional groups along the polymer backbone chain. The optimal reaction conditions for the preparation of the prepolymer were obtained by using a 0.12 mol % of p-toluenesulfonic acid with PEG 200 for 48 h. The weight-average molecular weight of the prepolymer increased from 1,290 to 31,700 upon melt polycondensation for 6 h at 130°C under vacuum using 0.5 wt % TIP as a catalyst. The synthesized monomer, prepolymer, and copolymer were characterized by FTIR, 1H- and 13C-NMR, and UV spectrophotometers. Thermal properties of the prepolymer and the protected copolymer were measured by DSC. The glass transition temperature (Tg) of the prepolymer shifted to a significantly higher temperature with increasing molecular weight via melt polycondensation reaction, and no melting temperature was observed. The in vitro hydrolytic degradation of these poly(L-aspartic acid-co-PEG) was measured in terms of molecular weight loss at different times and pHs at 37°C. This pH-dependent molecular weight loss was due to a simple hydrolysis of the backbone ester linkages and was characterized by more rapid rates of hydrolysis at an alkaline pH. These new biodegradable poly(L-aspartic acid-co-PEG)s may have potential applications in the biomedical field. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 36: 2949-2959, 1998
Additional Material:
10 Ill.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
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