Synthesis of Diblocks Copolymers PCL-b-PLLA and Optimization of its Mechanical Characteristics

Abstract

Biodegradable polymeric materials have a wide application in medicine, ecology and a number of other branches of industry. Overwhelming majority of such polymers is well exposed to the biodegradation, but they have mechanical properties which don't correspond to the requirements of application areas. As a rule, these materials possess low elasticity. In this work, optimization of mechanical properties of biodegradable polymers and the search of structure of block polymer on the basis of e-caprolactone and L-lactide with the maximal elasticity are considered. The purpose of the work is to receive the diblock polymer with mechanical properties as close as possible to elastomer for medical devices. The task is reached due to application of design of experiment with the subsequent optimization of the received results. Maximization of elongation at maximum load of received polymer is solved by the greatest possible reduction of crystallinity with a variation of molar weight of both part of diblock: polycaprolactone and polylactide. The absolute maximum of elongation at maximum load of synthesized diblock polymers is found. It is established that diblock with the following structure possesses the best mechanical properties in this class of polymers. Molar weight of the polycaprolactone block is 5000 Da while polylactide block is 7000 Da. Elongation at maximum load of this polymer was about 30%. In the second stage of our research, we try to improve the mechanical properties by making one block partly random (PCL-co-PLLA). Second block was made from homopolymer (PLLA). Maximum received elongation at break is 200%. First block of this polymer contains 25% of lactide, has molar weight of 10000 Da. Second block is the pure polylactide, with molar weight 10000 Da. All the experimental results and mathematical modeling pointing direction to maximum elongation could be achieved by multi-block structures.