Empirical Structure–Property Relationships of PLLA- b -PEG- b -PLLA Triblock Copolymers with Tunable Thermal, Tensile, and Swelling Behavior.

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Title: Empirical Structure–Property Relationships of PLLA- b -PEG- b -PLLA Triblock Copolymers with Tunable Thermal, Tensile, and Swelling Behavior.
Authors: Hu, Yang1 (AUTHOR), Sun, Xiaoya2 (AUTHOR), Wu, Wei1 (AUTHOR), Ekenseair, Adam K.1,2 (AUTHOR) a.ekenseair@northeastern.edu
Source: Polymers (20734360). May2026, Vol. 18 Issue 9, p1127. 17p.
Subjects: Block copolymers, Polylactic acid, Thermal properties, Materials science, Polyethylene glycol, Tensile tests, Ring-opening polymerization, Swelling of materials
Abstract: PLLA-b-PEG-b-PLLA triblock copolymers are promising materials because of their highly tunable properties. However, a systematic understanding of composition–property relationships remains limited. In this study, a series of A-B-A triblock copolymers was synthesized with polyethylene glycol (PEG) as soft center (B) domains and poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) as hard end (A) domains via ring-opening polymerization. Copolymer composition and molecular weights were characterized by proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H NMR) and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The thermal and mechanical properties of the copolymers were evaluated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and tensile testing. We established quantitative structure–property relationships using empirical data, demonstrating that PLLA block length played a key role in modulating tensile properties, with a near-linear relationship, while PEG molecular weight critically influenced mechanical stability. An approximate minimum PLLA block length of 20 repeat units was found as a threshold required to maintain structural integrity during in vitro 24 h swelling. These findings provide insights and practical guidance for the design of triblock copolymers with tunable thermal, mechanical, and swelling properties of PLLA-b-PEG-b-PLLA triblock copolymers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Polymers (20734360) is the property of MDPI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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  Data: Empirical Structure–Property Relationships of PLLA- b -PEG- b -PLLA Triblock Copolymers with Tunable Thermal, Tensile, and Swelling Behavior.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Polymers+%2820734360%29%22">Polymers (20734360)</searchLink>. May2026, Vol. 18 Issue 9, p1127. 17p.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Block+copolymers%22">Block copolymers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Polylactic+acid%22">Polylactic acid</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Thermal+properties%22">Thermal properties</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Materials+science%22">Materials science</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Polyethylene+glycol%22">Polyethylene glycol</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Tensile+tests%22">Tensile tests</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Ring-opening+polymerization%22">Ring-opening polymerization</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Swelling+of+materials%22">Swelling of materials</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
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  Data: PLLA-b-PEG-b-PLLA triblock copolymers are promising materials because of their highly tunable properties. However, a systematic understanding of composition–property relationships remains limited. In this study, a series of A-B-A triblock copolymers was synthesized with polyethylene glycol (PEG) as soft center (B) domains and poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) as hard end (A) domains via ring-opening polymerization. Copolymer composition and molecular weights were characterized by proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H NMR) and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The thermal and mechanical properties of the copolymers were evaluated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and tensile testing. We established quantitative structure–property relationships using empirical data, demonstrating that PLLA block length played a key role in modulating tensile properties, with a near-linear relationship, while PEG molecular weight critically influenced mechanical stability. An approximate minimum PLLA block length of 20 repeat units was found as a threshold required to maintain structural integrity during in vitro 24 h swelling. These findings provide insights and practical guidance for the design of triblock copolymers with tunable thermal, mechanical, and swelling properties of PLLA-b-PEG-b-PLLA triblock copolymers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of Polymers (20734360) is the property of MDPI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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        Value: 10.3390/polym18091127
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      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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        PageCount: 17
        StartPage: 1127
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Block copolymers
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Polylactic acid
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Thermal properties
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Materials science
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      – SubjectFull: Polyethylene glycol
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      – SubjectFull: Tensile tests
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      – SubjectFull: Ring-opening polymerization
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Swelling of materials
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Empirical Structure–Property Relationships of PLLA- b -PEG- b -PLLA Triblock Copolymers with Tunable Thermal, Tensile, and Swelling Behavior.
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            NameFull: Hu, Yang
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            NameFull: Sun, Xiaoya
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            NameFull: Wu, Wei
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            – D: 01
              M: 05
              Text: May2026
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
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