Hydrolytic degradation behavior of poly(rac-lactide)-block-poly(propylene glycol)-block-poly(rac-lactide) dimethacrylate derived networks designed for biomedical applications.

For polymer-based degradable implants, mechanical performance and degradation behavior need to be precisely controlled. Based on a rational design, this work comprehensively describes the properties of photo-crosslinked polymer networks prepared from poly(rac-lactide)-block-poly(propylene glycol)-block-poly(rac-lactide) dimethacrylate precursors during degradation. By varying the length of poly(rac-lactide) blocks connected to a central 4 kDa polyether block, microphase separated networks with adjustable crosslinking density, hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity ratio, thermal, and mechanical properties are obtained.

Degradable shape-memory polymer networks from oligo[(l-lactide)-ran-glycolide]dimethacrylates.

In this paper degradable shape-memory polymer networks synthesized from oligo[(-lactide)--glycolide]dimethaycrylates are introduced. The macrodimethacrylates are prepared a two-step synthesis: hydroxy telechelic oligo[(-lactide)--glycolide]s with number average molecular weights ranging from 1000 to 5700 g mol were synthesized by ring-opening polymerization from ,-dilactide, diglycolide and ethylene glycol as initiator using dibutyltin oxide as the catalyst. These oligodiols are reacted with methacryloyl chloride resulting in terminal methacrylate groups.