Improved Synthesis Control for Polyester Biomaterial Discovery Using a Parallel Polycondensation Apparatus

Abstract

Melt polycondensation is a versatile route for generating degradable polyester biomaterials with tunable functional properties, but benchtop exploration is limited by low throughput and poor reaction control. Here, we present a multiplexed synthesis apparatus (MSA) that enables parallel control of temperature and stirring across up to five reactions with global vacuum control. Thermal and vacuum control allows programmable ramping profiles, ensuring consistent, manipulable set points for property modulation. Torque feedback serves as a real-time qualitative indicator of viscosity for tracking reaction progress, a tool useful for identifying gelation onset observed during synthesis of poly(glycerol sebacate) (PGS) elastomers. Through batch synthesis of degradable poly(octylene succinate) (POSu), we demonstrate reproducible molecular weight control and show that continuous process logging contextualizes downstream accelerated degradation results, thereby establishing the MSA as a scalable, data-driven platform for developing polyester biomaterials.