Hydrolysis degradation of star-shaped poly-L-lactide

Abstract

The poly-L-lactide was synthesized by ring-opening polymerization of L-lactide with stannous octoate. Star-shaped poly-L-lactide was also prepared by the addition of pentaerythritol. The hydrolysis degradation behavior of linear and star-shaped poly-L-lactides was investigated. The star polymer showed a lower decrease rate of molecular weight than the linear one in the initial stage since it has multi chain arms.