Polylactide is an important material in biomedical applications, but its slow degradation rate, low hydrophilicity, and lack of reactive side-chain groups limit its use. To overcome these limitations it is crucial to functionalize it with reactive groups. By introducing reactive functional side groups, biologically active compounds can be attached with the possibility of controlled release. Additionally, introducing suitable functional groups can improve hydrophilicity, which is essential for drug delivery. There are several ways to introduce reactive functional side groups to the polylactide chain, with the most versatile being the introduction of a reactive group into monomeric lactide and its subsequent polymerization or copolymerization with lactide. This approach allows the preparation of polylactides with pendent functional groups via the polymerization of functional (substituted) monomers. Therefore, the synthetic strategy based on functional monomers is considered the primary option to access a broad range of functional polylactides. This review focuses on the modification of polylactide by incorporating functional groups into monomer molecules and their subsequent polymerization. Through this approach, it is possible to improve the properties of polylactide for various biomedical applications. In the following sections, we will discuss the different methods for functionalization and their potential impact on the biomedical field.

中文翻译：

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主链改性聚丙交酯。合成方法及应用


聚丙交酯是生物医学应用中的重要材料，但其降解速度慢、亲水性低、缺乏反应性侧链基团限制了其应用。为了克服这些限制，用反应基团对其进行功能化至关重要。通过引入反应性官能侧基，可以附着生物活性化合物并具有受控释放的可能性。此外，引入合适的官能团可以提高亲水性，这对于药物输送至关重要。将反应性官能侧基引入聚丙交酯链的方法有多种，最通用的是将反应性基团引入单体丙交酯中，然后与丙交酯聚合或共聚。这种方法允许通过功能性（取代的）单体的聚合来制备具有侧挂官能团的聚丙交酯。因此，基于功能单体的合成策略被认为是获得广泛的功能聚丙交酯的主要选择。本综述重点关注通过将官能团引入单体分子及其随后的聚合来对聚丙交酯进行改性。通过这种方法，可以改善聚丙交酯在各种生物医学应用中的性能。在以下部分中，我们将讨论不同的功能化方法及其对生物医学领域的潜在影响。