Ring-opening polymerization of emulsion-templated deep eutectic system monomer for macroporous polyesters with...

Area of Science:

• Polymer Chemistry
• Materials Science
• Biomaterials

Background:

• Biodegradable polyesters like poly(l-lactide) (PLLA) and poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) are crucial for tissue engineering and separation.
• Developing efficient synthesis methods for tailored polymer architectures is essential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize functional biodegradable polymers with interconnected macroporosity.
• To design polymerizable high internal phase emulsions (HIPEs) for creating macroporous structures.
• To evaluate the degradation and sorption properties of the synthesized polyHIPEs.

Main Methods:

• Solventless ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of a liquid deep eutectic system monomer (DESm) using functional macroinitiators (polycaprolactone triol (PCLT) and polyethylene glycol (PEG)).
• Design and formulation of polymerizable HIPEs using DESm and macroinitiators.
• Organocatalyzed ROP within HIPE emulsions.
• Characterization of polymer replicas, including porosity, degradation, and oil sorption capabilities.

Main Results:

• Branched or linear PLLA copolymers were formed depending on the macroinitiator used.
• Stable HIPEs were formulated and polymerized efficiently at 37 °C.
• Resulting polyHIPEs exhibited interconnected macroporous structures and remained mechanically stable for over 30 days in PBS.
• The polyHIPEs demonstrated effective crude oil sorption with a rate of 2 g g⁻¹.

Conclusions:

• The study successfully synthesized biodegradable PLLA/PCL copolymers and polyHIPEs with interconnected macroporosity.
• The developed polyHIPEs show potential as degradable polymeric sorbents for efficient hydrophobic fluid separation.
• The solventless ROP approach and HIPE templating offer a versatile platform for creating advanced biomaterials.