Synthesis and Characterization of Biodegradable Porous Materials via High Internal Phase Emulsion Polymerization (HIPE) with L-Lactic Acid and δ-Valerolactone.

초록

Biodegradable mesoporous materials of L-lactic acid (LA) and δ-valerolactone (VL) were synthesized by high internal phase emulsion polymerization (HIPE) using a eutectic mixture in a 20:80 molar ratio of LA:VL, respectively. The eutectic mixture at a mole ratio of 20:80 (LA:VL) shows a single melting point at -32ºC, determined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). PolyHIPEs based on the oil-in-eutectic mixture were prepared by dropwise addition of tetradecane as the disperse phase into the LA and VL eutectic mixture, employing Pluronic F127 as a surfactant. Ring opening polymerization (ROP) of the eutectic mixture was continuously carried out at 37ºC using organocatalysts 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene (DBU) and methane sulfonic acid (MSA), with benzyl alcohol (BnOH) as an initiator. The resulting monoliths exhibited excellent properties with well-defined porosity and interconnected pores, as confirmed by scanning electron microscope (SEM), presenting a mesoporous morphology.