title: Synthesis and properties of poly(L-lactide)-b-poly (L-phenylalanine) hybrid copolymers.
abstract: Hybrid materials constituted by peptides and synthetic polymers have nowadays a great interest since they can combine the properties and functions of each constitutive block, being also possible to modify the final characteristics by using different topologies. Poly(l-lactide-b-l-phenylalanine) copolymers with various block lengths were synthesized by sequential ring-opening polymerization of l-lactide and the N-carboxyanhydride of l-phenylalanine. The resulting block copolymers were characterized by NMR spectrometry, IR spectroscopy, gel permeation chromatography, MALDI-TOF and UV-vis, revealing the successful incorporation of the polyphenylalanine (PPhe) peptide into the previously formed poly(l-lactide) (PLLA) polymer chain. X-ray diffraction and DSC data also suggested that the copolymers were phase-separated in domains containing either crystalline PLLA or PPhe phases. A peculiar thermal behavior was also found by thermogravimetric analysis when polyphenylalanine blocks were incorporated into polylactide.
authors: Departament d'Enginyeria Química, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Av. Diagonal 647, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain. marcplanellas@gmail.com.
authors: Marc
authors: M
authors: Planellas
authors: Departament d'Enginyeria Química, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Av. Diagonal 647, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain. Jordi.Puiggali@upc.edu.
authors: Jordi
authors: J
authors: Puiggalí
mesh_terms: D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000737:chemistry*; D008970:Molecular Weight; D010649:Phenylalanine / Q000737:chemistry*; D011091:Polyesters; D011108:Polymers / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D011091:Polyesters; D011108:Polymers; D019344:Lactic Acid; C033616:poly(lactide); D010649:Phenylalanine