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Structure formation and hydrogen bonding in all-aliphatic segmented copolymers with uniform hard segments
Ya I Odarchenko1, N J Sijbrandi, M Rosenthal
1Institut de Sciences des Matériaux de Mulhouse-IS2M, CNRS LRC 7228, Mulhouse, France.
Acta Biomaterialia
|October 9, 2012
Summary
New aliphatic segmented poly(ether ester amide) copolymers show promise for biomedical uses. Their unique hard segment structure influences phase separation and degradation rates, offering tunable properties for advanced applications.
Area of Science:
- Polymer Chemistry
- Materials Science
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Aliphatic segmented poly(ether ester amide) copolymers are promising for biomedical applications.
- Uniform hard segments are crucial for predictable material properties.
- Controlling hard segment structure impacts polymer morphology and degradation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize and characterize novel fully aliphatic segmented poly(ether ester amide) copolymers.
- To investigate the relationship between hard segment structure and polymer morphology.
- To assess the influence of hard segment conformation on hydrolytic degradation rates.
Main Methods:
- Melt polycondensation of hydroxyl-terminated polytetrahydrofuran with glycine or β-alanine bisester-bisoxalamide units.
- Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) for morphological analysis.
- Optical and X-ray diffraction measurements to determine hard segment structure.
Main Results:
- Copolymers with 10–27% hard block content exhibited highly phase-separated morphologies.
- Ribbon-like nanocrystals of hard segments were observed dispersed within the soft segment matrix.
- Glycine and β-alanine ester groups were found to be tilted relative to the oxalamide plane.
Conclusions:
- The synthesized poly(ether ester amide) copolymers possess distinct phase-separated morphologies.
- The observed tilt in ester groups suggests a mechanism influencing ester bond hydrolysis and degradation.
- These findings provide insights for designing biodegradable materials with tunable properties for biomedical applications.
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