Polyglycolide

Polyglycolide or poly(glycolic acid) (PGA), also spelled as polyglycolic acid, is a biodegradable, thermoplastic polymer and the simplest linear, aliphatic polyester. It can be prepared starting from glycolic acid by means of polycondensation or ring-opening polymerization. PGA has been known since 1954 as a tough fiber-forming polymer. Owing to its hydrolytic instability, however, its use has initially been limited. Currently polyglycolide and its copolymers (poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) with lactic acid, poly(glycolide-co-caprolactone) with ε-caprolactone and poly (glycolide-co-trimethylene carbonate) with trimethylene carbonate) are widely used as a material for the synthesis of absorbable sutures and are being evaluated in the biomedical field.

Polyglycolide
Names
IUPAC name
Poly[oxy(1-oxo-1,2-ethanediyl)]
Identifiers
3D model (JSmol)
ChemSpider
  • none
ECHA InfoCard 100.249.865
UNII
  • *C(=O)CO*
Properties
(C2H2O2)n
Molar mass (58.04)n
Density 1.530 g/cm3 at 25 °C
Melting point 225 to 230 °C (437 to 446 °F; 498 to 503 K)
Boiling point Decomposes
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
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Infobox references
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