Novel poly(ester amide)s from glycine and L-lactic acid by an easy and cost-effective synthesis

Abstract

Novel low molecular weight poly(ester amide)s based on glycine and l-lactic acid with interest for the biomedical field were successfully prepared by interfacial polymerization, which is an easy and fast polymerization method. Preparation of the α-amino acid based diamine, the l-lactic acid based diacyl chlorides and the poly(ester amide)s was carried out in the absence of catalysts. The structure of the different poly(ester amide)s was confirmed by 1H NMR and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopies. The thermal behaviour of the synthesized poly(ester amide)s was evaluated by simultaneous thermal analysis, differential scanning calorimetry and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis. It was found that both the incorporation of an l-lactic acid oligomeric segment and the change in its central unit have an important influence on the thermal characteristics of the poly(ester amide)s. These novel poly(ester amide)s can be used as building blocks for the preparation of more complex structures. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry