| Abstract: | Novel polyesteramides were synthesized from p‐nitrophenyl esters of sebacic or adipic acids and diamines containing α‐amino acid ester groups. The optimal polymerization condition was 60 °C in N,N‐dimethylformamide. The structures of these polymers were confirmed by IR and NMR. The number‐average molecular weights of these polyesteramides ranged from 2280 to 23,600 (except for the polymers containing glycine residues), depending on the nature of the amino acid used. The biodegradability of the polyesteramides was investigated by in vitro hydrolysis with proteases and a lipase as catalysts in borate buffer solutions. The results indicated that the polymers containing L ‐phenylalanine were hydrolyzed most effectively by α‐chymotrypsin, subtilisin Carlsberg, and subtilisin BPN′. The polyesteramides containing other amino acid residues also underwent hydrolysis to different extents, reflecting the substrate specificity of the proteases. Lipase had almost no effect on the hydrolytic degradation of these polyesteramides. The polymers containing glycine residues were hardly decomposed by any of the enzymes used. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 39: 1318–1328, 2001 |
