Controlled/living radical polymerization (CLRP) techniques enable the synthesis of well-defined and functionalizable macromolecular architectures, which are essential features for potential biomedical applications. But the non-degradability of such vinyl (co)polymers remains a main obstacle for further developments.Among the few strategies allowing the insertion of degradable units in the backbone of a radical polymer, radical ring-opening polymerization (rROP) is one of the most promising approaches.In this project, taking advantage of both a CLRP technique such as nitroxide-mediated living radical polymerization (NMP) and the rROP of cyclic ketene acetals (CKAs), oligo(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate OEGMA has been copolymerized with 2-methylene-4-phenyl-1,3-dioxolane (MPDL), aiming to obtain new biocompatible and biodegradable structures.Chemical hydrolysis showed predictable molar mass reductions, from 25% to 90%, as a function of the chosen amount of MPDL in the monomer feed, with dispersities as low as 1,25. Livingness was confirmed by 31P NMR, with living fraction up to 75%, allowing the synthesis of a library of block copolymers containing a degradable block. The innocuousness of the obtained copolymers was also confirmed on three different cell lines (NIH/3T3, HUVEC and J774 cells), thus representing a promising approach for new tailor-made biodegradable and biocompatible polymers in the biomedical field.

Nitroxide-mediated radical ring-opening copolymerization: Towards the design of block copolymers comprising a degradable block

248th National Meeting (2014)

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