RNA-inspired intramolecular transesterification accelerates the hydrolysis of polyethylene-like polyphosphoesters.

ABSTRACT: To synthesize new (bio)degradable alternatives to commodity polymers, adapting natural motives can be a promising approach. We present the synthesis and characterization of degradable polyethylene (PE)-like polyphosphoesters, which exhibit increased degradation rates due to an intra-molecular transesterification similar to RNA. An α,ω-diene monomer was synthesized in three steps starting from readily available compounds. By acyclic diene metathesis (ADMET) polymerization, PE-like polymers with molecular weights up to 38 400 g mol^-1 were obtained. Post-polymerization functionalization gave fully saturated and semicrystalline polymers with a precise spacing of 20 CH₂ groups between each phosphate group carrying an ethoxy hydroxyl side chain. This side chain was capable

SUBMITTER: Haider TP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8672729 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature