Hydrolysis of alkyl cyanoacrylate and ethoxycarbonylpropenoylphosphonate polymers

Abstract

Abstract The polymers of ethyl α‐cyanopropenoate (widely known as cyanoacrylate) and dimethyl (α‐ethoxycarbonyl)propenoylphosphonate have been hydrolyzed and their rates of degradation to formaldehyde have been compared. The phosphate polymer produced much less formaldehyde than the cyanopropenoate polymer as required for an improved surgical adhesive. In a comparative study, the rate of aqueous hydrolysis of a high molecular weight cyanoacrylate polymer differed from a previous report. The nature and the hydrolytic properties of the end groups in the two types of polymer are discussed.