A Biodegradable and Recyclable Lipoic Acid/Hydroxyethyl Methacrylate Random Copolymer With Good Biocompatibility

ABSTRACT Traditional bio‐based polymers are usually macromolecules connected by covalent bonds, and their molecular backbones are not easy to degrade. While ensuring the excellent properties of biomass‐based polymers themselves, they introduce dynamic reversible chemical bonds to improve their rapid degradation and recyclability capabilities. In this paper, lipoic acid, hydroxyethyl methacrylate, and ferric chloride were used as raw materials to prepare a random copolymer that can be degraded and recycled by thermal ring‐opening polymerization. Infrared spectroscopy, thermal stability, and thermal performance tests showed that the lipoic acid/hydroxyethyl methacrylate (LAHF) polymer was a random copolymer containing dynamic disulfide bonds, dynamic hydrogen bonds, and metal coordination bonds, and had high thermal stability. In the mechanical property test, adhesion strength, and water contact angle test, the maximum tensile strength of the LAHF polymer is 104.76 ± 6.66 kPa, the maximum elongation at break is 910.15% ± 185.41%, high adhesion strength, and amphiphilic. The hemolytic performance test, coagulation performance test, biocompatibility test, degradable performance test, and recyclability test showed that the LAHF polymer had low hemolysis, low coagulability, and good biocompatibility could be rapidly degraded in lye, and could be recycled and reused, with a recovery rate of 84.60% ± 2.73%.