Selective modification of polylactide by introducing acrylate groups: IR spectroscopy, gel permeation chromatography, and differential thermal analysis

Abstract

One-stage modification of polylactide has been performed to obtain the acrylate derivatives of the polymer capable of further polymerization and preparation of cross-linked polymer materials suitable for creating implants. The reaction mechanism was determined by IR spectroscopy, gel permeation chromatography, and differential thermal analysis. It was shown for the first time that the reaction path changes depending on the ratio of components so that the desired product polylactide acrylate forms with a ~90% yield only in the presence of large (approximately tenfold) excesses of the isocyanate and acrylate components; at the equimolar ratio of components generally used in urethane formation, a mixture of the desired product (~30%), oligourethane diacrylates, and unchanged polylactide forms.