Biodegradable polyol-based polymers for biomedical applications

ABSTRACT

Polyols are multifunctional alcohols, with branched structures, where each arm terminates with an –OH group. These free –OH groups have been utilised to make a variety of polymer structures ranging from cross-linked to linear to starshaped. This review presents a comprehensive account of polyol-based polymers in biomedical applications. The advantages afforded by polyolbased biodegradable polymers are detailed in this review, alongside a general historical perspective on the development of biodegradable polymers. The major advantage of these polyols is that they are endogenous to the human body. Synthesis strategies and fabrication techniques to mould these materials into three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds are discussed. Modifications to the conventionally used polyol-based polyesters have been achieved by chemically incorporating drugs/ bioactives or by preparing nanocomposites. This review discusses the physicochemical properties and biological responses of these polymers relevant in biomedical applications and further outlines the need for improving their processability and performance.

KEYWORDS:

• Polyols
• xylitol
• biodegradable polymers
• biomaterials
• tissue engineering
• drug delivery

Acknowledgements

G.M. acknowledges J.C. Bose Fellowship from the Department of Science and Technology (DST), India.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

ORCID

Kaushik Chatterjee http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7204-2926

Additional information

Funding

The authors acknowledge the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), India (BT/PR5977/MED/32/242/2012) for funding this work. Ministry of Science and Technology.