Occupying the intermediate position between high‑molecular‑weight 10K and ultra‑high‑molecular‑weight 20K PCL‑COOH, this 15 kDa carboxyl‑terminated poly(ε‑caprolactone) possesses further extended polymer chains, intensified chain entanglement and improved crystallinity. Terminal carboxylic acid groups can be readily activated by EDC/NHS to form stable amide bonds with amine‑containing peptides, growth factors and bioactive substrates. Its hydrolytic degradation falls into a slow weeks‑to‑early‑multi‑month range, outperforming 10K in mechanical performance while avoiding the extreme erosion resistance of 20K grade. Suited for semi‑implant‑relevant experimental scenarios, this polymer combines EDC/NHS‑mediated bio‑modification capability with prolonged structural stability for intermediate implant‑mimicking pre‑clinical assessment.
Key Features: ‑ Mid‑ultra‑high‑molecular‑weight PCL backbone with terminal carboxylic‑acid functionality, delivering enhanced mechanical strength compared to 10K and lower‑molecular‑weight PCL‑COOH grades ‑ Weeks‑to‑early‑multi‑month degradation profile; maintains structural integrity in biological surroundings for extended experimental cycles before gradual bulk erosion ‑ Balanced trade‑off between solubility and rigidity; dissolves in common anhydrous organic solvents while generating mechanically stable nanoparticles and electrospun semi‑implantable membranes ‑ End‑group‑derived negative surface charge enables flexible tuning of particle‑cell interaction and biomaterial‑tissue interface behaviours ‑ Spectroscopically validated carboxyl end‑group conversion rate; low residual impurities compatible with advanced cell experiments and semi‑implant‑oriented small‑animal model evaluation
Applications: ‑ Fabrication of highly stable carboxyl‑labelled nanoparticles and micelles for long‑term drug release and prolonged in‑vivo biodistribution monitoring after EDC/NHS conjugation ‑ EDC/NHS‑driven surface bio‑functionalization of semi‑implantable electrospun membranes for medium‑to‑long‑term tissue‑integration research ‑ Synthesis of amide‑linked polymer‑biomolecule conjugates for durable targeting systems applied in subcutaneous small‑animal studies ‑ Formulation development bridging long‑circulating nanocarriers and full implant‑grade ultra‑high‑MW PCL‑COOH materials ‑ Prototype evaluation of carboxyl‑modified polyester platforms for translational pre‑clinical pipelines prior to adopting 20K ultra‑slow‑degrading polymer grades
Handling & Storage: Store lyophilized polymer powder at −20 °C under dry inert‑gas environment. Although carboxyl moieties feature good intrinsic stability, cumulative moisture exposure will trigger random ester‑chain hydrolysis and cause molecular‑weight drift. Place sealed vials inside a desiccator and achieve full room‑temperature equilibration before opening to prevent condensed water from contaminating polymer solids. Prepare fresh working solutions with anhydrous organic solvents right before experiments; long‑term preservation of dissolved polymer stock solutions is discouraged. This product is intended solely for laboratory research and is not eligible for human clinical usage.
AxisPharm offers 5000+ PEG Linkers with high purity. Different kinds of PEG Reagents may be available by custom synthesis.