Biodegradable poly(amino acid)s, derivatized amino acid polymers and methods for making same

A water soluble, crosslinked poly(amino acid) polymer comprising units having the formula:

• wherein M is a cation selected from the hydrogen, alkali metal, alkaline earth metal, ammonium or alkyl-substituted ammonium cations;
• R3 is a divalent alkylene of 1 to 2 carbon atoms;
• R4 is divalent alkylene of 1 to 12 carbon atoms, cycloalkylene, arylene, alkarylene;
• W is CO2M;
• and Y=R3CO2M, and structural isomers thereof, said crosslinked polymer having a weight average molecular weight of greater than or equal to 100,000.

A derivatized poly(amino acid) polymer having a polymer backbone comprising units of formula:

• wherein R1 is H or C1-C4 alkyl;
• R2 is OH, ZOH, ZOPO3M2, ZOSO3M, ZOR4, or GPO3M2;
• R3 is a divalent alkylene having 1 to 2 carbon atoms;
• R4 is C1-C4 alkyl or benzyl;
• Z is selected from C1-C12 alkyl, cycloalkyl and aryl, CH2CH2(OCH2CHR5)p(OCH2CH2)q, CH2CH2(NR5CH2CHR6), wherein p is 0 to 50, q is 0 to 50, p+q=1 to 50, r is 1 to 50;
• R5 is H or CH3;
• R6 is H or CH3;
• G is selected from C1-C30 alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkaryl, aralkyl or any of the foregoing substituted with at least one group selected from OH, O-alkyl, Cl, Br, CO2M, and PO3M2 groups;
• M is a cation selected from hydrogen, alkali metal, alkaline earth metal, ammonium and alkyl-substituted ammonium cations;
• W is selected from CO2M and CONR1R2;
• Y is selected R3CO2M and R3CONR1R2;
• a, b, c and d are mol percentages such that (a+b)/(a+b+c+d)=0.01% to 99.99%;
• a/(a+b)=0.00 to 100.00%;
• b/(a+b)=0.00 to 100.00%;
• c/(c+d)=0.00 to 100.00%;
• d/(c+d)=0.00 to 100.00%;
• and a+b+c+d=100%, said polymer having a weight average molecular weight of from about 300 to about 100,000.