The ever growing biomedical technology such as tissue engineering, regenerative medicine and controlled drug release intimately relies on the development of advanced functional biomaterials. Biodegradable aliphatic polyesters and polycarbonates due to their favorable biocompatibility and approved use in biomedical devices by the US food and drug administration (FDA) have become the prime synthetic biomaterials. However, common biodegradable polymers are often challenged by their high hydrophobicity, improper degradation profile, and/or absence of reactive centers for further modifications. To address these issues, we have recently designed and prepared several novel types of cyclic carbonate monomers that contain a pendant pH-sensitive degradable acetal group, an acryloyl group, or a vinyl sulfone group. Based on these new monomers, we have developed rapidly pH-sensitive biodegradable micelles and polymersomes for bio-responsive drug release, ligand-decorated photo-crosslinked biodegradable micelles for tumor-targeting drug delivery, functional photo-crosslinked biodegradable hydrogels as well as vastly different functional biodegradable polymers and coatings to meet the specific requirements of tissue engineering, regenerative medicine and medical implants. We envision that these novel functional biodegradable polymers will have a wide range of biomedical applications.

Novel design and synthesis of functional biodegradable polymers and nanocarriers

244th National Meeting (2012)

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