Polylactide-Based Porous Materials: Synthesis, Hydrolytic Degradation Features, and Application Areas

Abstract

Polylactide-based materials are often considered an alternative to materials produced from traditionally hardly degradable polymers. Porous polylactide membranes, matrices, and scaffolds are especially attractive for use in biomedicine. The review concerns the physicochemical basis and structural and morphological opportunities of various methods for the manufacture of porous polylactide, such as sintering, 3D printing, electrospinning, foaming, etching, and the processes of phase separation and orientational drawing. Special attention is focused on the effect of porous structure parameters on the rate of hydrolytic degradation of the polymer and the prospects for the development of application areas of similar porous materials.