Novel amphiphilic poly(epsilon-caprolactone)-g-poly(L-lysine) degradable copolymers

Biomacromolecules. 2007 Aug;8(8):2594-601. doi: 10.1021/bm700449c. Epub 2007 Jul 11.

Abstract

As part of the search of novel degradable polymers, amphiphilic and cationic poly(epsilon-caprolactone)-g-poly(l-lysine) (PCL-g-PlL) copolymers have been synthesized following a grafting "onto" or a grafting "from" method both applied to a macropolycarbanionic PCL derivative. The first approach led to PCL-g-PZlL containing 36% of epsilon-caprolactone and 64% of N-epsilon-Z-l-lysine units, by reaction of activated poly(N-epsilon-Z-l-lysine) on the macropolycarbanion derived from PCL. The second route was based on the anionic ring opening polymerization of N-carboxyanhydride of N-epsilon-benzyloxycarbonyl-l-lysine initiated by the macropolycarbanion derived from PCL and led to a similar copolymer containing 45% of of epsilon-caprolactone and 55% of N-epsilon-Z-l-lysine units. After deprotection of the lysine units, PCL-g-PlL copolymers were obtained. These copolymers are water-soluble and form nanometric micelle-like objects with mean diameters between 60 and 500 nm in distilled water depending on the synthesis route.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Biocompatible Materials / chemical synthesis
  • Biocompatible Materials / chemistry*
  • Polyesters / chemical synthesis
  • Polyesters / chemistry*
  • Polylysine / analogs & derivatives*
  • Polylysine / chemical synthesis
  • Polylysine / chemistry
  • Solubility
  • Water / chemistry

Substances

  • Biocompatible Materials
  • Polyesters
  • poly(epsilon-caprolactone)-g-polylysine
  • Water
  • Polylysine