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Zhong, J. Poly(L-Lactic Acid). Encyclopedia. Available online: https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/61212 (accessed on 09 November 2026).
Zhong J. Poly(L-Lactic Acid). Encyclopedia. Available at: https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/61212. Accessed November 09, 2026.
Zhong, Jack. "Poly(L-Lactic Acid)" Encyclopedia, https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/61212 (accessed November 09, 2026).
Zhong, J. (2026, October 21). Poly(L-Lactic Acid). In Encyclopedia. https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/61212
Zhong, Jack. "Poly(L-Lactic Acid)." Encyclopedia. Web. 21 October, 2026.

Poly(L-Lactic Acid)

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Poly(L-lactic acid) is a semicrystalline polyester produced by ring-opening polymerisation of the cyclic lactide, and the L prefix fixes the stereochemistry of the repeat unit. The stereocentre matters, because a random mixture of the two enantiomers gives an amorphous polymer while the pure enantiomer crystallises [1]. The melting point and the crystallinity depend on the content of the opposite enantiomer, and a small amount of it lowers both [2]. Hydrolytic degradation proceeds by random chain scission in the bulk, and the rate is accelerated by the acidic products that accumulate inside a thick part [3]. Blending with a flexible polyester improves the toughness but reduces the strength, and the two phases separate unless a copolymer is formed [4]. Stereocomplexation between the two enantiomers raises the melting point by about fifty degrees and improves the heat resistance [5].

polylactide ring-opening polymerization stereochemistry crystallinity hydrolytic degradation stereocomplex enantiomer
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References

  1. Chang, L.; Woo, E. Effects of molten poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) on crystalline morphology in stereocomplex of poly(L-lactic acid) with poly(D-lactic acid). Polymer 2011, 52, 68-76. [CrossRef]
  2. Tashiro, K.; Kouno, N.; Wang, H.; Tsuji, H. Crystal Structure of Poly(lactic acid) Stereocomplex: Random Packing Model of PDLA and PLLA Chains As Studied by X-ray Diffraction Analysis. Macromolecules 2017, 50, 8048-8065. [CrossRef]
  3. Macnamara, J.F.; Vallery, R.; Gidley, D.; Auras, R. Density and Crystallinity Correlations: Enhancing Moisture Barrier Properties in Poly( l ‐Lactic Acid), Poly( d ‐Lactic Acid), and Stereocomplex‐Poly( l,d ‐Lactic Acid) Films. Journal of Applied Polymer Science 2025, 142, e56986. [CrossRef]
  4. Cataldo, F. Optical Rotatory Dispersion of Poly(l-lactic acid) (PLLA) in 19 Solvents and Study of PLLA Complexation with Polyphenylacetylene (PPA) in Solution. Liquids 2026, 6, 20. [CrossRef]
  5. Zhang, L.Q.; Zhang, Z.Y.; Yang, S.G.; Lei, J. Stereocomplex crystallization of equimolar Poly(L-lactic acid)/Poly(D-lactic acid) blends from melt with lowered chain entanglements. Polymer 2024, 306, 127229. [CrossRef]
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Subjects: Materials Science, Biomaterials
Contributor MDPI registered users' name will be linked to their SciProfiles pages. To register with us, please refer to https://encyclopedia.pub/register : Jack Zhong
View Times: 8
Entry Collection: Polymer Concepts
Revisions: 2 times (View History)
Update Date: 23 Oct 2026
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