Kazunori Kataoka

Synthesis of high molecular weight poly(α,β-malic acid) for biomedical use by direct polycondensation

Abstract Poly(malic acid) (PMA) is a biodegradable and bioabsorbable water-soluble polymer. In order to apply this compound in the biomedical field, many researchers have investigated the synthesis of PMA with high molecular weight by polymerization methods such as ring-opening and direct polycondensation. When the synthesis of high molecular weight PMA is performed by ring-opening polymerization, it is difficult because of the several steps involved in this reaction cycle, including a great deal of time for repeated purification. In contrast, direct polycondensation is a very useful method for the synthesis of polyesters since it is achieved by a one step reaction. In this report, we describe a new and simple method to synthesize high molecular weights compounds of α,β-PMA by direct polycondensation. The optimum reaction temperature for the synthesis of α,β-PMA by direct polycondensation was 120–130xa0°C, irrespective of reaction solvents or catalysts. From these results, we conclude that our approach efficiently synthesizes higher molecular weight compounds of α,β-PMA.