Issue 4, 2014

Marine-degradable polylactic acid

Abstract

Polyesteracetal (PEA) copolymers of 1,3-dioxolan-4-one (DOX) with L-lactide (LA) were synthesized via ring-opening polymerization (ROP). Facile degradability in distilled water or seawater was observed—presumably via hydrolysis of the main-chain acetal functionality. Over 45 days, mass loss approached 2% and molecular weight loss (Mn) exceeded 15%; control experiments with polylactic acid (PLA) indicated no degradation.

Graphical abstract: Marine-degradable polylactic acid

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Communication
Submitted
21 Dec 2013
Accepted
26 Feb 2014
First published
26 Feb 2014

Green Chem., 2014,16, 1768-1773

Author version available

Marine-degradable polylactic acid

R. T. Martin, L. P. Camargo and S. A. Miller, Green Chem., 2014, 16, 1768 DOI: 10.1039/C3GC42604A

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