New tissue engineering material copolymers of derivatives of cellulose and lactide: their synthesis and characterization1

This paper reported the grafting copolymerization of l-lactide onto hydroxyethyl cellulose (PLA-HEC) or hydroxypropyl cellulose (PLA-HPC). They were obtained from ring-opening copolymerization of l-lactide with HEC or HPC in different mole ratios at 128°C. Sn(Oct)2 or LiCl was used as catalysts for the polymerization reaction. 400 MHz 1H NMR analysis of products indicated that both Sn(Oct)2 and LiCl could catalyze the reactions. Both PLA-HEC and PLA-HPC were biodegradable polymers with a good bioabsorbability, lack of toxicity, and were suitable for the use as tissue engineering materials.