# Stereocomplexed Functional and Statistical Poly(lactide-carbonate)s via a Simple Organocatalytic System

## TL;DR

Scientists created a new type of biodegradable plastic with better strength and the ability to attach medicines.

## Contribution

A new method to create functionalized, crystalline polylactide-carbonate copolymers that can be stereocomplexed and chemically modified.

## Key findings

- Copolymers remain crystalline up to 25 mol% carbonate content and can be stereocomplexed.
- Polymers with alkene and alkyne groups allow efficient thiol–ene click chemistry for drug conjugation.
- Material properties can be tuned through derivatization.

## Abstract

The stereocomplexation of polylactide (PLA) has been
widely relied
upon to develop degradable, sustainable materials with increased strength
and improved material properties in comparison to stereopure PLA.
However, forming functionalized copolymers of PLA while retaining
high crystallinity remains elusive. Herein, the controlled ring-opening
copolymerization (ROCOP) of lactide (LA) and functionalized cyclic
carbonate monomers is undertaken. The produced polymers are shown
to remain crystalline up to 25 mol % carbonate content and are efficiently
stereocomplexed with homopolymer PLA and copolymers of opposite chirality.
Polymers with alkene and alkyne pendent handles are shown to undergo
efficient derivatization with thiol–ene click chemistry, which
would allow both the covalent conjugation of therapeutic moieties
and tuning of material properties.