Synthesis and Characterization of Poly(DL-lactide) Containing Fluorene Structures

Area of Science:

• Polymer Chemistry
• Materials Science
• Biomaterials

Background:

• Bisphenol fluorene (BPF) derivatives offer unique structural properties.
• Poly(DL-lactide) is a biodegradable polymer with established biocompatibility.
• Acrylate functional groups enable photocrosslinking for material fabrication.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize a novel Poly(DL-lactide) copolymer incorporating bisphenol fluorene and acrylate functionalities (DL-BPF).
• To characterize the synthesized polymer and its photocrosslinked network.
• To evaluate the optical, thermal, and cytotoxic properties of the crosslinked material.

Main Methods:

• Ring-opening polymerization of DL-lactide initiated by BPF hydroxyl groups.
• Polymer characterization using NMR (¹H, ¹³C) and gel permeation chromatography.
• Photocrosslinking of DL-BPF using Omnirad 1173, followed by characterization (gel content, refractive index, DSC, TGA, cytotoxicity tests).

Main Results:

• Successful synthesis of DL-BPF polymer with bisphenol fluorene and acrylate groups.
• Formation of an optically transparent photocrosslinked polymer.
• Achieved a maximum refractive index of 1.5276, a glass transition temperature of 61.1 °C, and >83% cell viability.

Conclusions:

• The novel DL-BPF copolymer can be photocrosslinked into optically transparent, thermally stable, and biocompatible materials.
• This material demonstrates potential for applications in advanced optical devices and biomedical fields.
• The combination of bisphenol fluorene, poly(DL-lactide), and acrylate groups yields promising material properties.