Biomaterials From Sugars: Ring-opening Polymerization Of A Carbohydrate Lactone

摘要

The preparation of a novel carbohydrate lactone is reported, in excellent yield, from D-gluconolactone; ring-opening polymerization of the lactone yields a functionalized cyclic aliphatic polyester.rnRenewable resources, in particular biomass, are attractive monomers due to problems with petrochemicals' supply, cost, environmental impact and sustainability. Further, bioderived materials can often be biocompatible, bioresorbable and even biodegradable. One such bioderived material is polylactide, produced from lactic acid, harvested from corn or sugar beet, and used to manufacture food and beverage packaging, as well as specialized medical articles. However, polylactide lacks chemical functional groups, resulting in it being hydrophobic and slow to degrade, which limits its applications and complicates its disposal.