Naphthalene-Based Aromatic Copolyesters Containing Polar Units with Improved Wettability and High Transparency for Biomedical Applications

Abstract

The development of novel high-performance materials is a key driver of technological progress in biomedicine. To date, polymeric materials have represented one of the most significant advances in addressing a broad range of challenges. Owing to their versatility and tunable properties, polymers have found countless applications, including in highly demanding biomedical fields, particularly when the availability of donor tissue is limited and transplantation is not always a viable option. To overcome these limitations, increasing research efforts have been devoted to the development of tailor-made biocompatible materials capable of restoring physiological functions. Within this context, the present research focuses on the synthesis and characterization of innovative aromatic polyesters containing polar comonomeric units to enhance their hydrophilicity. The reference homopolymer, poly(pentamethylene naphthalate), was chemically modified by incorporating different molar amounts of dimethyl 5-sulfoisophthalate subunits, with the aim of improving surface wettability and biological integration. In addition to high thermal stability and processability, the resulting materials exhibited good optical transparency, with low color saturation and a faint bluish hue, making them potentially suitable for biomedical applications, including the treatment of ocular tissues. Finally, biocompatibility was preliminarily assessed through in vitro cytotoxicity tests. Overall, these findings may lay the foundation for developing a new generation of materials capable of providing advanced solutions for biomedical applications.