A Novel Biodegradable Carboxy‐Functional Lactose Copolymer

The synthesis of the first lactose main‐chain copolymer was achieved by means of solution polyreaction of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid dianhydride with D ‐lactose. The water‐soluble carboxy‐functional material based on EDTA with a high molar mass is shown to be biodegradable. The metal complexing properties of the polymer based on the liquid‐phase polymer‐based retention (LPR) method showed a strong interaction with Cr(III), Fe(III), and Sr(II) ions.