Studies on hydrolytic degradation of poly(ester-anhydride)s based on oligosuccinate and aliphatic diacids

This paper describes synthesis, characteristics and hydrolytic degradation of functional poly(ester-anhydride)s based on oligo(3-allyloxy-1,2-propylene succinate) (OSAGE) and aliphatic diacids (DA). The polymers were obtained by polycondensation of OSAGE with adipic (ADP), sebacic (SBA) or dodecanedicarboxylic acid (DDC). The carboxyl groups in OSAGE and in diacids were converted to mixed anhydride groups by acetylation with acetic anhydride. After that, prepolymers thus obtained were condensed in vacuum to yield poly(ester-anhydride)s. The structure of copolymers was confirmed by NMR spectroscopy. Influence of the kind of diacid and the OSAGE to diacid ratio on selected properties of poly(ester-anhydride)s were examined. Poly(ester-anhydride)s were subjected to hydrolytic degradation at 37 °C, in aqueous phosphate buffer solution of pH 7.41 (PBS). The course of degradation was monitored by determination of weight loss of samples, ¹H NMR and DSC. Fracture surfaces of samples during degradation were examined by scanning electron microscopy.