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A Facile and Eco-friendly Route to Fabricate PolyLactic Acid Scaffolds with Graded Pore Size
Published on: October 17, 2016
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Poly(lactic acid) stereocomplexes: A decade of progress.
1Department of Environmental and Life Sciences, Graduate School of Engineering, Toyohashi University of Technology, Tempaku-cho, Toyohashi, Aichi 441-8580, Japan.
Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews
|April 30, 2016
Summary
Stereocomplexation of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) enhances its heat resistance and mechanical properties. This review summarizes a decade of research on PLA stereocomplexes for diverse applications.
Area of Science:
- Polymer Science
- Materials Science
Background:
- Stereocomplex (SC) formation occurs when enantiomeric poly(l-lactic acid) (PLLA) and poly(d-lactic acid) (PDLA) are blended or synthesized as stereo block polymers.
- PLA SC exhibits superior melting temperature, mechanical performance, and hydrolysis resistance compared to neat PLLA and PDLA.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review a decade of progress in the investigation of PLA stereocomplexes.
- To highlight the diverse applications and enhanced properties of PLA SC materials.
Main Methods:
- Literature review summarizing research on PLA stereocomplexation.
- Analysis of property enhancements and application developments.
Main Results:
- PLA SC offers improved thermal stability, mechanical strength, and hydrolysis resistance.
- PLA SC is valuable in biomedical, pharmaceutical, commodity, industrial, and environmental fields.
- PLA SC acts as a nucleating agent to enhance the heat resistance of PLLA.
Conclusions:
- PLA stereocomplexation significantly improves material properties.
- PLA SC shows great potential across a wide range of applications.
- Further research into various stereocomplexes beyond PLA is warranted.
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