The biocompatibility and biodegradability of poly(lactic acid), or PLA, enables tissue engineering scaffolds and <i>in vivo</i> implants that degrade while simultaneously being replaced with healthy tissue. PLA degradation can be highly controlled through cross-link density, allowing for tunable degradation rates. Here, we report a method to fabricate cross-linked PLA coatings using thiol-ene cross-linking chemistry. Briefly α,ω ene functionalized PLA polymers were synthesized through ring-opening polymerization of lactide using a diol as an initiator. The alcohol end groups were converted to vinyl groups through reaction with acryloyl chloride. Molecular weights of the α,ω functionalized PLA was 5,000 to 15,000 g/mol with dispersity of approximately 1.3. The PLA polymers were then cross-linked using a multi-functional thiol-terminated molecule such as trimethylolpropane tris(3-mercaptopropionate). Chemical crosslinking provided near 100% crosslinking without the production of any byproducts. After cross-linking the coatings became insoluble although they displayed swelling behavior characteristic of cross-linked polymers.

Carefully controlled poly(lactic acid) networks through “thiol-ene” cross-linking of α,ω ene functionalized PLA polymers and multi-armed thiols

255th National Meeting (2018)

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