Poly(ester amide) (PEA) materials are of interest in the fields of biomedical materials and drug delivery. The polymers are often characterized as �biodegradable� despite the lack of definitive data in the literature that demonstrates degradation in vivo. We synthesized poly(ether ester) amide (PEEA) materials containing phenylalanine and oligoethylene glycol segments.  We conducted degradation studies of PEEA coatings on stainless steel substrates in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) and in a yearlong subcutaneous in vivo study. We assessed degradation with several analytical techniques that tested for chemical, surface, and gravimetric changes. The PEEA material showed clear signs of degradation in PBS and in vivo. The results of our studies strongly suggest that hydrolysis plays an important role in the degradation of PEEAs containing oligoethylene glycol segments.

Degradation studies of poly(ether ester amide) materials

243rd National Meeting (2012)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.