DEGRADABLE POLYMERS

摘要

Polymers comprising a polymer backbone comprising one or more degradable units are described. The polymer may additionally comprise two or more polymer segments comprising radically (co)polymerizable vinyl monomer units. The degradable units may be independently selected from, but not limited to, at least one of hydrodegradable, photodegradable and biodegradable units between the polymer segments and dispersed along the polymer backbone. The degradable units may be derived from one or more monomers comprising a heterocyclic ring that is capable of undergoing radical ring opening polymerization, a coupling agent, or from a polymerization initiator, radically polymerizable monomers, as well as other reactive sources. Embodiments of the degradable polymer of claim are capable of degrading by at least one of a hydrodegradation, photodegradation or biodegradation mechanisms to form at least one of telechelic oligomer and telechelic polymeric fragments of the polymer. The degradable polymer may be able to degrade into polymer fragments having a molecular weight distribution of less than 5, or in certain applications it may be preferable for embodiments of the polymer to be capable of forming polymer fragments having a molecular weight distribution of the polymer fragments less than 3.0 or even less than 2.5. Embodiments of the present invention also include methods of producing degradable polymers.