Main-chain water-soluble polyphosphoesters: Multi-functional polymers as degradable PEG-alternatives for biomedical applications

Polyphosphoesters (PPEs) are a class of (bio)degradable polymers with high chemical versatility and functionality. In particular, water-soluble PPEs with the phosphoester group in the polymer backbone are currently discussed as a potential alternative to poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG). Ring-opening polymerization of typically 5-membered cyclic phosphoesters gives straightforward access to various well-defined PPEs. Several PPE candidates have...