Homogeneous hydrolytic degradation of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) microspheres: Mathematical modeling

The homogeneous hydrolytic degradation of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microspheres was investigated. A mathematical model was developed that estimates the evolutions of ester bonds concentrations and average molecular weights along the degradation process. The model is based on a detailed kinetic mechanism that includes the hydrolysis of the different types of ester bonds by random chain scission and considers the effect of polymer chemical composition and molecular structure. Novel and published experimental data were used to adjust and validate the model. The experimental work consisted of homogeneous hydrolytic degradation of PLGA microspheres. The predictions are in very good agreement with the experimental results.