Synthesis and properties of Poly(L-lactide)-b-poly (L-phenylalanine) hybrid copolymers

Abstract

Hybrid materials constituted by peptides and synthetic polymers have nowadays a great interest since they can combine the properties and functions of each constitutive block, being also possible to modify the final characteristics by using different topologies. Poly(L-lactide-b-L-phenylalanine) copolymers with various block lengths were synthesized by sequential ring-opening polymerization of L-lactide and the N-carboxyanhydride of L-phenylalanine. The resulting block copolymers were characterized by NMR spectrometry, IR spectroscopy, gel permeation chromatography, MALDI-TOF and UV-vis, revealing the successful incorporation of the polyphenylalanine (PPhe) peptide into the previously formed poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) polymer chain. X-ray diffraction and DSC data also suggested that the copolymers were phase-separated in domains containing either crystalline PLLA or PPhe phases. A peculiar thermal behavior was also found by thermogravimetric analysis when polyphenylalanine blocks were incorporated into polylactide.