Synthesis and biodegradation of copolyesters derived from glutamic acid

Summary

Copolyesters of glutamic acid hydrochloride and 1,2-ethane diol, 1, 3-butane diol, 1,4-butane diol, 1,6-hexane diol and glycerol have been synthesised and characterised by number average molecular weights, I.R.spectra and elemental analysis. Microbial degradation of the co-polyesters has been studied using the fungus Aspergillus niger and the bacterium E.coli. All the polymer samples are degraded by these microorganisms. The less polar copolyesters are more readily degraded by the fungus while the bacterium more efficiently degrades the polymers having a higher proportion of α-NH₂ group. The facile attachment of a suitable drug through the free amine groups of the copolyesters has been illustrated to indicate their possible use as carrier polymers for drugs.