Tuning thermo-mechanical properties of elastomeric lactic acid-based copolymers for biomedical applications
Several biomedical polymers are widely utilized by surgeons as implants, bone cements, or sutures. This study focuses on plasticizing biomedical grades of innovative bioresorbable polymers based on lactic acid, using a derivative of ferulic acid as the plasticizer, aiming to attain properties approp...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Taylor & Francis Group
2025-12-01
|
| Series: | Green Chemistry Letters and Reviews |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/17518253.2025.2462203 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| Summary: | Several biomedical polymers are widely utilized by surgeons as implants, bone cements, or sutures. This study focuses on plasticizing biomedical grades of innovative bioresorbable polymers based on lactic acid, using a derivative of ferulic acid as the plasticizer, aiming to attain properties appropriate for use as sutures. The thermo-mechanical properties and biocompatibility of the resulting polymer blends were thoroughly evaluated. A blend consisting of poly[DL-lactide-co-poly(ethylene glycol)] with 30 w% of plasticizer exhibited a significant increase in elongation at break, from 11% to 598%. The tensile strength of the plasticized poly-(L,L-lactide)-co-glycolide reached 19.8 MPa, comparable to a standard polypropylene suture. Microscopic analyses showed the migration of the crystallized plasticizer to the surface of the blend. Not only did cell culture tests confirm the biocompatibility of the blends but also blends did not promote cell or bacterial proliferation on their surfaces, indicating their potential suitability for sutures where the biological inertness of the biomaterials is required. These results demonstrate the feasibility of significantly enhancing the thermo-mechanical properties of commercially available polymers, already used for medical applications, without compromising their biocompatibility, solely through the addition of a non-reactive additive. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 1751-8253 1751-7192 |