Water‐soluble polyamides as potential drug carriers, V. Carboxy‐functionalized polyaspartamides and copolyaspartamides

Abstract

Abstract Poly‐α,β‐D, L‐aspartamides featuring carboxy‐functionalized side groups are synthesized by three different preparative routes: (i) aminolytic ring opening in polysuccinimide, (ii) N‐carboxymethylation of amine‐functionalized polyaspartamides, and (iii) nucleophilic addition of iminodiacetic acid to acryloylamino‐substituted poly‐aspartamides. The polymeric products, possessing inherent viscosities in the wide range of 5–30 ml g −1 , are characterized microanalytically and spectroscopically. By virtue of the carboxylic acid side groups lending themselves to the reversible covalent bonding of suitably structured drug models, the polymers are designed to function as macromolecular carriers of chemotherapeutically active agents. Being perfectly soluble in aqueous media over a wide pH range, they fulfill a crucial precondition for carrier components in (parenterally administered) polymer‐drug conjugates.