(62aq) The Fabrication of Functionalized Biodegradable Polyesters with Applications in Drug Delivery

This poster session will detail methodology for the production of functionalized polyesters by synthesis of modified α-hydroxy acid monomers and their subsequent polymerization. Polyesters are among the most frequently utilized biomaterials in the medical industry. Although polyesters are ideal with respect to biocompatibility, their physical properties often hinder their application for medical activities. In order for biodegradable polymers to meet the demands of controlled release pharmaceuticals, they must surmount difficulties with mechanical properties, toxicity and degradation rate. To engineer materials that are capable of hurdling these challenges, structural alterations to current polymers and the chemistry of such structurally augmented polymers must be explored in greater detail. It is believed that through chemical modification these properties can be tailored, making the polymers increasingly valuable to modern health care. The modified polymers will likely possess important implications for improved drug delivery and other medical applications such as controlled release drug therapies, which offer possible solutions to some of the existing drug delivery problems.