Polyester-based copolymers for biomaterials fabrication

Results on synthesis Of Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate)s possessing one or two hydroxyl groups at one terminus of the chain and carboxylic group at the other chain end are reported. These polymers were further functionalised via transesterification with dimethyl H-phosphonate thus incorporating a reactive/biodegradable center in the polyester backbone. Block/star-like copolymers composed of hydrophilic PEG and hydrophobic Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) segments linked by phosphoester moiety were also obtained. Chemical structure and composition of the reaction products were analysed applying different spectroscopic techniques (H-1, and P-31 NMR, IR and ESI-MS) and size exclusion chromatography was applied to describe molecular weight averages and distribution.