Backbone‐Degradable Polymers Prepared by Chemical Vapor Deposition

• Published in: Angewandte Chemie International Edition Vol. 56; no. 1; pp. 203 - 207
• Main Authors: Xie, Fan, Deng, Xiaopei, Kratzer, Domenic, Cheng, Kenneth C. K., Friedmann, Christian, Qi, Shuhua, Solorio, Luis, Lahann, Joerg
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 02.01.2017
• Edition: International ed. in English
• Subjects: Acetals; Acetals - chemical synthesis; Acetals - chemistry; Backbone; Biocompatible Materials - chemical synthesis; Biocompatible Materials - chemistry; Chemical synthesis; Chemical vapor deposition; Chemistry Techniques, Synthetic - methods; CVD polymerization; cyclic ketene acetals; Cyclization; Degradability; Degradation; Ellipsometry; Ethers, Cyclic - chemical synthesis; Ethers, Cyclic - chemistry; Ethylenes - chemical synthesis; Ethylenes - chemistry; Fourier transforms; free-radical ring-opening polymerization; functional polymers; hydrolytic degradation; Hydrophobicity; Industrial applications; Ketones - chemical synthesis; Ketones - chemistry; Kinetics; Oxepins - chemical synthesis; Oxepins - chemistry; Piperidines - chemical synthesis; Piperidines - chemistry; Polymer coatings; Polymerization; Polymers; Polymers - chemical synthesis; Polymers - chemistry; Reaction kinetics; Regenerative medicine; Sensors; Vapors; Volatilization; cyclic ketene acetals; hydrolytic degradation; functional polymers; CVD polymerization; free-radical ring-opening polymerization
• ISSN: 1433-7851; 1521-3773
• DOI: 10.1002/anie.201609307

Polymers prepared by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) polymerization have found broad acceptance in research and industrial applications. However, their intrinsic lack of degradability has limited wider applicability in many areas, such as biomedical devices or regenerative medicine. Herein, we demonstrate, for the first time, a backbone‐degradable polymer directly synthesized via CVD. The CVD co‐polymerization of [2.2]para‐cyclophanes with cyclic ketene acetals, specifically 5,6‐benzo‐2‐methylene‐1,3‐dioxepane (BMDO), results in well‐defined, hydrolytically degradable polymers, as confirmed by FTIR spectroscopy and ellipsometry. The degradation kinetics are dependent on the ratio of ketene acetals to [2.2]para‐cyclophanes as well as the hydrophobicity of the films. These coatings address an unmet need in the biomedical polymer field, as they provide access to a wide range of reactive polymer coatings that combine interfacial multifunctionality with degradability. Breaking back: A new class of backbone‐degradable polymer coatings was developed via chemical vapor deposition co‐polymerization. These polymer coatings address a significant unmet need in the biomedical polymer field, as they provide access to a wide range of reactive polymer coatings that combine interfacial multifunctionality with degradability.