Synthesis of biodegradable amino-acid-based poly(ester amide)s and poly(ether ester amide)s with pendant functional groups

A new family of biodegradable amino‐acid‐based poly(ester amide)s (AA–PEAs) and amino‐acid‐based poly(ether ester amide)s (AA–PEEAs) consisting of reactive pendant functional groups (COOH or NH2) were synthesized from unsaturated AA–PEAs and AA–PEEAs via a thiol–ene reaction in the presence of a radical initiator (2,2′‐azobisisobutyronitrile). The synthetic method was a one‐step reaction with near 100% yields under mild reaction conditions. The resulting functional AA–PEA and AA–PEEA polymers were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, NMR, and differential scanning calorimetry. These new functional AA–PEA and AA–PEEA derivatives had lower glass‐transition temperatures than the original unsaturated AA–PEA and AA–PEEA polymers, and their solubility in some organic solvents also improved. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010