when working to optimise a poly lactidecoglycolide system de

when working to optimise a poly (lactide-co-glycolide) system. describe three changes that can be made to the structure to increase the rate of degradation?

Solution

Ans ;- poly(lactic-co-glycolide) system is a copolymer which is used in a host of food and drug administration approved therapeutic devices owing to its biodegradability and biocompatibility.It can be synthesised by means of ring opening co polymerization of two different monomers the cyclic dimers of glycolic acid and lactic acid.Three changes that can be made to the structure to increase the rate of degradation.

In the first step oligomers are prepared by dehydration of monomers. In the second step the oligomers are melt-polymerized under vaccum. a third step then follows in which condensation is continued at the solid state .To prepare PLGA in a relatively short time it is necessary to proceed by ring opening of polymerization of the cyclic diesters,lactide and glycolide.It has been shown that time of degradation of PLGA is related to the monomer ratio used in the production,the higher the content of glycolide unit the lower the time required for degradation as compared to predominantly lactide material.