Antiseptics based on phenol and phenolic derivatives were chemically incorporated into polyanhydrides as pendant groups via ester linkages. Polyanhydrides with antiseptic loadings of 46–58 wt.‐% were obtained with molecular weights ranging from 9 400–23 000. In general, polymers with the bulkier antiseptics were more difficult to polymerize and yielded lower molecular weights. All polyanhydrides were amorphous with glass transition temperatures ranging from 27–58 °C. Polymers were deemed noncytotoxic after culturing L929 mouse fibroblast cells in media containing the polymers at two concentrations (0.10 and 0.01 mg · mL?1) over three days. In summary, mono‐functional bioactives can be chemically incorporated into noncytotoxic polyanhydrides.
