Low molecular weight ε-caprolactone-p-coumaric acid copolymers as potential biomaterials for skin regeneration applications

ε-caprolactone-p-coumaric acid copolymers at different mole ratios (ε-caprolactone:p-coumaric acid 1:0, 10:1, 8:1, 6:1, 4:1, and 2:1) were synthesized by melt-polycondensation and using 4-dodecylbenzene sulfonic acid as catalyst. Chemical analysis by NMR and GPC showed that copolyesters were formed with decreasing molecular weight as p-coumaric acid content was increased. Physical characteristics, such as thermal and mechanical properties, as well as water uptake and water permeability, depended on the mole fraction of p-coumaric acid. The p-coumarate repetitive units increased the antioxidant capacity of the copolymers, showing antibacterial activity against the common pathogen Escherichia coli. In addition, all the synthesized copolyesters, except the one with the highest concentration of the phenolic acid, were cytocompatible and hemocompatible, thus becoming potentially useful for skin regeneration applications.采用熔融缩聚法，以4-十二烷基苯磺酸为催化剂，合成了摩尔比分别为1:0、10:1、8:1、6:1、4:1及2:1的ε-己内酯（ε-caprolactone）与对香豆酸（p-coumaric acid）共聚物。通过核磁共振波谱法（NMR）与凝胶渗透色谱法（GPC）开展化学分析，结果显示所制备的共聚酯分子量随对香豆酸含量提升而降低。该共聚物的热学、力学性能，以及吸水率、透水性能等物理特性，均随对香豆酸的摩尔分数发生变化。对香豆酸重复单元可增强共聚物的抗氧化能力，且对常见致病菌大肠埃希氏菌（Escherichia coli）具有抗菌活性。此外，除酚酸浓度最高的样品外，所有合成共聚酯均具备细胞相容性与血液相容性，因此在皮肤再生应用中具备潜在使用价值。