Water-soluble biodegradable polymers: Synthetic or natural-based raw materials?

摘要

In this paper, we review some of the significant synthesis approaches that we and others have evaluated for producing commercially viable water-soluble biodegradable polymers. The goals set for these polymers, cost/performance equivalent with current non-biodegradable polymers and complete biodegradation or a high degree of certainty that they are free from potential adverse environmental impact, are realistic but very difficult to achieve. Hence, we believe that few new polymers are emerging or are likely to emerge in the near future because of the radical directional changes needed in the synthesis and environmental testing procedures for water-soluble biodegradable polymers. We consider polymers with structures and compositions that mimic nature most likely to eventually be successful in the market place regardless of raw material origin, provided that cost/performance comparable with current commercial polymers can be achieved. Poly(aspartic acid), recently developed, may be considered as a prototype of things to come. [References: 5]