Degradation mechanism and kinetics of thermosensitive polyacrylamides containing lactic acid side chains

Diblock copolymers of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-N-(2-hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide lactate) (poly(NIPAAm-co-HPMAm-lactate)) as a thermosensitive block and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) as a hydrophilic block form polymeric micelles above the cloud point (CP) of the temperature-sensitive block. Destabilization of these micelles occurs upon hydrolysis of the lactate side chains. Here we report on the degradation kinetics of the HPMAm-mono(di)lactate monomers and their copolymers with NIPAAm. The degradation of the monomers and polymers in their soluble state (thus below their CP) followed normal ester hydrolysis behavior: the degradation rate increased with temperature, pH (from pH 7.5 to 11), and dielectric constant of the medium. Above the CP, where the polymers are in a precipitated state, a significant retardation of the polymer degradation occurred due to a decrease of dielectric constant of the local environment of the precipitated polymer. This study shows that it is possible to predict the rate of formation of HPMAm in NIPAAm-co-HPAIAm-lactate copolymers which results in an increase of the overall hydrophilicity of the polymers and destabilization of polymeric micelles based on poly(NIPAAm-co-HPMAm-lactate).