Water-Soluble, Biocompatible Polyphosphazenes with Controllable and pH-Promoted Degradation Behavior

J Polym Sci A Polym Chem.  2014; 52(2): 287–294.

Sandra Wilfert,¹ Aitziber Iturmendi,¹ Wolfgang Schoefberger,^2,3 Kushtrim Kryeziu,⁴ Petra Heffeter,^4,5 Walter Berger,^4,5Oliver Brüggemann,¹ and Ian Teasdale¹

¹Institute of Polymer Chemistry, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Welser Street 42, 4060 Leonding, Austria and

²Institute of Organic Chemistry, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Altenberger Street 69, 4040 Linz, Austria and

³Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic and

⁴Institute of Cancer Research and Comprehensive Cancer Center of the Medical University of Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, Borschkegasse 8a, 1090 Vienna, Austria and

⁵Research and Platform “Translational Cancer Therapy Research,” Vienna, Austria.

 

Abstract

The synthesis of a series of novel, water-soluble poly(organophosphazenes) prepared via living cationic polymerization is presented. The degradation profiles of the polyphosphazenes prepared are analyzed by GPC, ³¹P NMR spectroscopy, and UV–Vis spectroscopy in aqueous media and show tunable degradation rates ranging from days to months, adjusted by subtle changes to the chemical structure of the polyphosphazene. Furthermore, it is observed that these polymers demonstrate a pH-promoted hydrolytic degradation behavior, with a remarkably faster rate of degradation at lower pH values. These degradable, water soluble polymers with controlled molecular weights and structures could be of significant interest for use in aqueous biomedical applications, such as polymer therapeutics, in which biological clearance is a requirement and in this context cell viability tests are described which show the non-toxic nature of the polymers as well as their degradation intermediates and products.

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