Emergence of Polymer Stereocomplexes for Biomedical Applications

Polylactide (PLA) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) constitute, already for several decades, the gold standards for various biomedical applications due to their biocompatibility/inertness. Moreover, they have an additional property: they can form stereocomplexes (SCs) that have a more compact crystalline structure than the individual components. As a result, polymer SCs display improved thermal and mechanical properties, as well as delayed drug release and biodegradation rate in the case of drug delivery systems and biomaterials based on PLA, which is of prime importance in the biomedical field. In this article, the potential of SCs for biomedical applications in the areas of drug delivery, tissue engineering, and nanostructured surfaces is highlighted.