Salicylate-based poly(anhydride-esters), collectively referred to as PolyAspirin, hydrolytically degrade into salicylic acid, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). The variations of the poly(anhydride-ester) investigated in this article are linked by adipic acid, suberic acid, or sebacic acid. To elucidate the erosion mechanism of these polymers, water uptake, mass loss, contact angle, and changes in device thickness were monitored as a function of in vitro degradation time. The polymers examined here appeared to primarily undergo surface erosion. The adipate homopolymer absorbed the most water and therefore swelled more than the other versions of the poly(anhydride-ester). Additionally, the adipate homopolymer eroded most quickly. Increasing the length of the linker moiety decreased the driving force for hydrolysis, which prolonged the lifetime of the polymer sample.

Poly(anhydride-esters), based on carboxyphenoxydecanoate (CPD), are biocompatible polymers that hydrolytically degrade. The mechanical properties of the poly(anhydride-esters) can be altered by copolymerization with para-carboxyphenoxyhexane (pCPH). Mechanical properties of three CPD:pCPH compositions (30:70, 40:60, and 50:50) are reported as a function of hydrolytic degradation. The mechanical characteristics evaluated were tensile modulus at 1% strain (E(1%)), tensile strength (sigma(B)), ultimate elongation (epsilon(B)), and toughness (E(r)). The 30:70 CPD:pCPH fibers maintained higher values for tensile modulus at all time points than the two other fiber compositions. In addition, the 30:70 CPD:pCPH fibers maintained lower values for both tensile strength and toughness than the two other fiber compositions. These phenomena resulted from the brittle nature of pCPH, the major component of the 30:70 CPD:pCPH fibers; increasing the pCPH concentration in the polymer lowers both tensile strength and toughness of the polymer by decreasing ductility. With increasing amounts of pCPH, the hydrolytic degradation occurred more slowly, as reflected in the copolymers' improved ability to retain their mechanical properties. Therefore, copolymerization is useful for controlling the mechanical properties of the fibers as well as the polymer degradation rate, which ultimately determines the rate at which physically or chemically encapsulated drugs can be released.