title: Poly[(ethylene oxide)-co-(methylene ethylene oxide)]: A hydrolytically-degradable poly(ethylene oxide) platform.
abstract: A facile method for imparting hydrolytic degradability to poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), compatible with current PEGylation strategies, is presented. By incorporating methylene ethylene oxide (MEO) units into the parent PEO backbone, complete degradation was defined by the molar incorporation of MEO, and the structure of the degradation byproducts was consistent with an acid-catalyzed vinyl-ether hydrolysis mechanism. The hydrolytic degradation of poly[(ethylene oxide)-co-(methylene ethylene oxide)] was pH-sensitive, with degradation at pH 5 being significantly faster than at pH 7.4 at 37 °C in PBS buffer while long-term stability could be obtained in either the solid-state or at pH 7.4 at 6 °C.
authors.affiliation: Materials Research Laboratory, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106.
authors.forename: Pontus
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lundberg
authors.forename: Bongjae F
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Sebastiaan A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: van den Berg
authors.forename: Eric D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Pressly
authors.forename: Annabelle
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Craig J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Hawker
authors.forename: Nathaniel A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Lynd