The underlying rationale of this proposal is that once suitable structure-property correlations have been established for a class of polymers, it is possible to design in a systematic fashion materials for specific applications. This general approach will be applied to the design of pseudo-poly(amino acids) - a new class of amino acid containing polymers. The specific objectives of this proposal are threefold: (a) to continue the synthetic exploration of pseudo-poly(amino acids) by the preparation of polyarylates containing derivatives of L-tyrosine; (b) to establish detailed correlations between polymer structure and polymer properties; and (c) to explore whether well-characterized polymeric surfaces can be used to investigate some of the parameters that influence the complicated interactions between a polymer and living cells. In the first phase of the proposed program, optimized synthetic techniques for the preparation of polyarylates from derivatives of L- tyrosine and naturally occurring diacids will be developed. The proposed polyarylates will have backbone elements and pendent chains whose length can be varied independently. This design provides a high degree of control over the polymer structure, making these materials an ideal system for the exploration of structure-property correlations. The pendent chains will also be used for controlled surface modifications. In the second phase, the proposed polyarylates will be used as a test system for the investigation of correlations between the polymer structure (on a molecular level) and macroscopic physico- mechanical properties. In the third phase, an exploratory study of the biological interactions of polyarylates with living cells will be undertaken. These studies are a necessary prerequisite before new polymers can be considered for potential human applications. The results obtained in this research program will contribute to a better understanding of the material properties of amino acid derived polymers and the interactions of these polymers with living cells. In the long- term, this work will contribute to the development of polymeric implant materials with improved biocompatibility. Possible future """"""""target applications"""""""" are the development of custom designed materials for vascular grafts and/or stents.
