Poly[(amino acid ester)phosphazenes]: Synthesis, Crystallinity, and Hydrolytic Sensitivity in Solution and the Solid State

Fifteen different poly[(amino acid ester)phosphazenes] [N=P(NHCHRCOOR') 2 ] n (R= H, Me, iPr, Bz; R'= Me, Et, tBu, Bz) were synthesized by treatment of poly(dichlorophosphazene) with a large excess of the appropriate amino acid ester. Several of these polymers were crystalline as measured by DSC. Hydrolysis studies were performed to estimate the rates of decomposition of the polymers and the duration over which the polymers maintained their structural integrity