Author(s)

Baki HAZER

.

Poly (3-hydroxy alkanoate)s, PHAs, have been very attractive as biomaterials due to their biodegradability and biocompatibility. These hydrophobic natural polyesters, PHAs, need to have hydrophilic character particularly for drug delivery systems. In this manner, poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG) and hydrophilic functional groups such as amine, hydroxyl, carboxyl and sulfonic acid have been introduced into the PHAs in order to obtain amphiphilic polymers. This review involves in the synthesis and characterization of the amphiphilic PHAs.

poly (3-hydroxy alkanoate), PHA, amphiphilic polymer, biomaterial, chemical modification

B. HAZER, "Amphiphilic Poly (3-Hydroxy Alkanoate)s: Potential Candidates for Medical Applications," Energy and Power Engineering, Vol. 2 No. 1, 2010, pp. 31-38. doi: 10.4236/epe.2010.21006.