Polycarbonate biological properties

Pseudo-poly(amino acids) were first described in 1984 (Kohn, 1984) and have since been evaluated for use in several medical applications (Kohn, 1987 Yu-Kwon, 1989 Zhou, 1990 Kohn, 1993 Mao, 1993). Although a range of different pseudo-poly(amino acids) has been prepared, detailed studies of the physical properties, biological properties, and possible applications of these polymers have so far been conducted only for a select group of new tyrosine- derived polycarbonates, polyiminocarbonates, and polyarylates. This review will encompass the work to date on these specific materials. 

Szelest-Lewandowska, A., Masiulanis, B., Szymonowicz, M. et al. (2007) Modified polycarbonate urethane synthesis, properties and biological investigation in vitro. Journal ofBiomedical Materials Research, Part A, 82A(2), 509-520. 

Bisphenol-A (BPA) is an important raw material for the synthesis of polycarbonates, epoxy resins and other polymers as well as polymer additives. It is conventionally produced by acid-catalysed condensation of phenol with acetone. Application of various catalysts for the BPA synthesis is discussed with particular attention to the substrates conversion and the reaction selectivity. Recent developments in the BPA production and its applications are presented. Moreover, potential toxicological and endocrine disrupting properties of BPA are considered with the emphasis on human exposure, general toxicology, and biological effects. 

Among the polymers available, polycarbonate is the material of choice when small dimensions in micrometer scale need to be reprodudbly realized with high aspect ratios. Standard Makrolon polycarbonate is characterized by a high transparency from 400 to 1650 nm. Biological inertia, high heat resistance (e.g., sterilization conditions) and good form stability make the material ideal for cell culture applications. Polycarbonate is far less brittle than other thermoplastic polymers, thus making the material resistant to shocks and breaks. Hence, the properties of polycarbonate ideally serve to manufacture... 

Besides carboxylates, esters of other biologically relevant acids have been used to synthesize PEG-based polyesters. Physical properties of PEG-derived polycarbonates have been explored since the 1960s [74-78]. More recent studies have focused on the degradability and cell interactions of these materials, but the PEG contents were low (<25%) [80-83]. Water-soluble polymers with higher PEG fractions have been prepared, but no degradation data has been reported for these [160, 161]. PEGs with a single carbonate linker were solely mentioned in patent literature [79, 84]. 

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