Formation of and coalescence from the inclusion complex of a biodegradable block copolymer and alpha-cyclodextrin. 2: A novel way to regulate the biodegradation behavior of biodegradable block copolymers.

A biodegradable block copolymer (PCL-b-PLLA, M(n) = 1.72 x 10(4), M(w)/M(n) = 1.37) of poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PCL) and poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) with very low crystallinity was obtained by forming the inclusion complex between alpha-cyclodextrin molecules and PCL-b-PLLA followed by coalescence of the guest polymer chains. Films of the as-synthesized and coalesced copolymer samples, PCL and PLLA homopolymers of approximately the same chain lengths as the corresponding blocks of PCL-b-PLLA, and a physical blend of PCL/PLLA homopolymers with the same molar composition as PCL-b-PLLA were prepared by melt-compression molding between Teflon plates. Subsequently, the in vitro biodegradation behavior of these films was studied in phosphate buffer solution containing lipase from Rhizopus arrhizus, by means of ultraviolet spectra, attenuated total reflectance FTIR spectra, differential scanning calorimetry, wide-angle X-ray diffraction measurements, and weight loss analysis. PCL segments were found to degrade much faster than PLLA segments, both in the pure state and in copolymer or blend samples. Consistent with our expectation, suppression of the phase separation, as well as a decrease of crystallinity, in the coalesced copolymer sample led to a much faster enzymatic degradation than that of either as-synthesized copolymer or the PCL/PLLA physical blend sample, especially during the early stages of biodegradation. Thus the biodegradation behavior of biodegradable block copolymers, which is of decisive importance in drug delivery and controlled release systems, may be regulated by the novel and convenient means recently reported by us.(1)