Introducing Disulfide Bonds into Polyester Biomaterials via Nucleophilic Thiol-yne Polymerization.

Area of Science:

• Polymer Chemistry
• Materials Science
• Biomaterials Engineering

Background:

• Polyesters are versatile biomaterials known for biodegradability and tunable properties.
• Incorporating dynamic disulfide bonds enhances degradation pathways and enables self-healing.
• Existing methods for disulfide-containing polymers lack versatility in tuning thermomechanical properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize polyesters with controllable disulfide bond content using a versatile polymerization method.
• To investigate the influence of disulfide bonds, isomerism, and monomer choice on polymer properties.
• To confirm the degradability and cytocompatibility of the synthesized polymers.

Main Methods:

• Nucleophilic thiol-yne polymerization was utilized for polymer synthesis.
• Disulfide bond content, E/Z isomerism, and monomer combinations were systematically varied.
• Thermomechanical properties, crystallinity, degradability, and cytocompatibility were evaluated.

Main Results:

• Polymers with tunable disulfide bond content were successfully synthesized.
• Crystallinity and thermomechanical properties were effectively controlled by varying synthesis parameters.
• Reversible disulfide bonds facilitated degradation under chemical stimuli.
• Demonstrated cytocompatibility suggests potential for biomedical applications.

Conclusions:

• Nucleophilic thiol-yne polymerization offers a versatile route to disulfide-containing polyesters.
• The synthesized polymers exhibit tunable properties and controlled degradability.
• These materials hold significant potential as advanced polymeric biomaterials.