The notable increase in global consumption of plastics and their long residence time in the atmosphere show the great need for biodegradable products. In this project, we developed biodegradable polymers based on citric acid and glycerol. Their synthesis was carried out at different conditions of constant temperature and concentration and they were synthesized using an economically viable method. Characterization was undertaken using: Acid number, FTIR spectroscopy, refractive index, viscosity, impact analysis, tensile test, hardness, calorimetry, the % humidity (oven method with recirculating air), and density determination, along with qualitative evidence to corroborate their biodegradability. These elaborated polymers were mixed with medical grade PVC formulation, obtaining a hybrid polymer, showing their mechanical properties were changed.

The synthesis of a new hybrid polymer derived from glycerol citrate polymer (GCP) and yttrium oxide nanoparticles was performed without catalyst and using an equimolar concentration. The biocompatibility and antimicrobial capacity of citrate-based polymers suggest it to be involved in biomedical applications since citric acid is a natural molecule. Glycerol citrate polymer and yttrium oxide (Y 2 O 3 ) nanoparticles were synthesized by autocatalytic polymerization and sol-gel methods respectively. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), antibacterial effect and cell viability assay were performed to characterize the material. The cubic crystalline Y 2 O 3 nanoparticles dispersed in glycerol citrate polymer could be the cause of the increased antibacterial effect presented in the pure glycerol citrate polymer; supporting the potential of the hybrid polymer as a biotechnological material. The cytotoxicity was evaluated trough human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cell.