Glycerol-Based Soft Elastomeric Degradable Biomaterials with Tunable Physicochemical and Mechanical Properties

Abstract

The widespread clinical adoption of implantable devices has driven growing interest in biodegradable alternatives that eliminate the need for secondary removal surgeries. Among these, glycerol-based thermosets have emerged as promising biocompatible materials. Compared with established glycerol-based thermosets, incorporating shorter-chain aliphatic dicarboxylic acids into the glycerol backbone may enhance hydrophilicity and potentially accelerate hydrolytic degradation, while varying the curing conditions enables tailorable properties for biomedical applications requiring temporary structural support. Herein, poly(glycerol glutarate) (GGA) and poly(glycerol adipate) (GAA) were synthesized via solvent- and catalyst-free polycondensation reactions. Variation in curing temperature yielded thermosets with tailorable swelling, degradation, mechanical, and shape-memory properties. The thermosets exhibited hemocompatibility and cytocompatibility, supporting cell growth and proliferation without inducing intracellular oxidative stress. Overall, GGA and GAA thermosets combine tailorable properties with favorable in vitro biological performance, broadening the design space of degradable polyglycerol thermosets for temporary soft-tissue applications requiring tunable mechanical support and rapid resorption.