Synthesis of medical grade PLLA, PDLLA, and PLGA by a reactive extrusion polymerization

[en] Due to their biodegradability and biocompatibility, aliphatic polyesters received a considerable attention for a wide range of applications, in particular in medical and pharmaceutical fields. Aliphatic polyesters are usually synthesized by ring opening polymerization in a batch mode. In this work, a reactive extrusion polymerization was optimized to synthesise in a continuous way poly-L-lactide, poly-D,L-lactide, and poly-D,L-lactide-co-glycolide 50:50. A lab scale co-rotating twin screw extruder adapted for pharmaceutical products and medical devices was used after optimizing the geometry of screws and barrel. Polymerization was conducted in the presence of tin(II) 2-ethylhexanoate as catalyst and a monohydroxylated polyethylene glycol as initiator. The optimized procedure allowed producing high molecular weight polyesters (Mn in the range [15−100 kDa]) in a controlled way on a time scale of some minutes, with a capacity of at least 100 g/h and with monomer residues lower than 5%. Comparison of macromolecular features and thermal properties of the resulting polyesters of different Mn with those prepared in a batch process allowed concluding to the similarity of these materials. Reactive extrusion polymerization represents therefore a very attractive methodology to produce in a continuous, rapid and robust way aliphatic polyesters suitable for a wide range of pharmaceutical, medical or nowadays applications.

Research Center/Unit :

CEIB - Centre Interfacultaire des Biomatériaux - ULiège

Disciplines :

Materials science & engineering

Author, co-author :

Regibeau, Nicolas ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des sciences biomédicales et précliniques > Biochimie et physiologie générales, et biochimie humaine

Hurlet, Jérôme ; Université de Liège - ULiège > CEIB

Tilkin, Rémi ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Department of Chemical Engineering > Nanomaterials, Catalysis, Electrochemistry

Lombart, François

Heinrichs, Benoît ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Department of Chemical Engineering > Génie chimique - Nanomatériaux et interfaces

Grandfils, Christian ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des sciences biomédicales et précliniques > Biochimie et physiologie générales, et biochimie humaine

Language :

English

Title :

Synthesis of medical grade PLLA, PDLLA, and PLGA by a reactive extrusion polymerization

Publication date :

07 May 2020

Journal title :

Materials Today Communications

eISSN :

2352-4928

Publisher :

Elsevier, Oxford, United Kingdom

Volume :

Pages :

101208

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Funders :

FRIA - Fonds pour la Formation à la Recherche dans l'Industrie et dans l'Agriculture

Available on ORBi :

since 10 June 2020

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