Stefaniak Konrad, Masek Anna
Institute of Polymer and Dye Technology, Faculty of Chemistry, Lodz University of Technology, 90-924 Lodz, Poland.
Materials (Basel). 2021 Sep 13;14(18):5254. doi: 10.3390/ma14185254.
Polylactic acid (PLA) is a biodegradable and biocompatible polymer that can be applied in the field of packaging and medicine. Its starting substrate is lactic acid and, on this account, PLA can also be considered an ecological material produced from renewable resources. Apart from several advantages, polylactic acid has drawbacks such as brittleness and relatively high glass transition and melting temperatures. However, copolymerization of PLA with other polymers improves PLA features, and a desirable material marked by preferable physical properties can be obtained. Presenting a detailed overview of the accounts on the PLA copolymerization accomplishments is the innovation of this paper. Scientific findings, examples of copolymers (including branched, star, grafted or block macromolecules), and its applications are discussed. As PLA copolymers can be potentially used in pharmaceutical and biomedical areas, the attention of this article is also placed on the advances present in this field of study. Moreover, the subject of PLA synthesis is described. Three methods are given: azeotropic dehydrative condensation, direct poly-condensation, and ring-opening polymerization (ROP), along with its mechanisms. The applied catalyst also has an impact on the end product and should be adequately selected depending on the intended use of the synthesized PLA. Different ways of using stannous octoate (Sn(Oct)) and examples of the other inorganic and organic catalysts used in PLA synthesis are presented.
聚乳酸(PLA)是一种可生物降解且具有生物相容性的聚合物,可应用于包装和医学领域。其起始底物是乳酸,因此,聚乳酸也可被视为一种由可再生资源生产的生态材料。除了若干优点外,聚乳酸也有诸如脆性以及相对较高的玻璃化转变温度和熔点等缺点。然而,聚乳酸与其他聚合物的共聚可改善聚乳酸的性能,从而可获得具有更优物理性能的理想材料。详细概述聚乳酸共聚方面的成果是本文的创新之处。文中讨论了科学发现、共聚物实例(包括支化、星形、接枝或嵌段大分子)及其应用。由于聚乳酸共聚物可能用于制药和生物医学领域,本文也关注了该研究领域的进展。此外,还描述了聚乳酸的合成主题。介绍了三种方法:共沸脱水缩聚、直接缩聚和开环聚合(ROP)及其机理。所使用的催化剂也会对最终产物产生影响,应根据合成聚乳酸的预期用途进行适当选择。介绍了使用辛酸亚锡(Sn(Oct))的不同方式以及聚乳酸合成中使用的其他无机和有机催化剂的实例。