In Situ Atomic Force Microscopy Imaging of Polymer Degradation in an Aqueous Environment

K. M. Shakesheff, M. C. Davies*, C. J. Roberts, S. J.B. Tendler, A. G. Shard, A. Domb

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

48 Scopus citations

Abstract

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) has been employed for the in situ study of the hydrolytic surface erosion of biodegradable polymers within an aqueous environment. These AFM studies reveal the surface polymer morphology to a resolution comparable to vacuum based scanning electron microscopy and demonstrate the influence of a variety of factors including polymer crystallinity and the pH of the aqueous environment on the kinetics of the degradation of bioerodible polymers and their polymer blends. We suggest that this approach can make a substantial contribution to our understanding of polymer degradation within an aqueous environment and will have a major impact on the design of novel bioerodible polymers for exploitation in the medical field.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)4417-4419
Number of pages3
JournalLangmuir
Volume10
Issue number12
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Dec 1994

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