As reported in Part I ("In vivo testing of crosslinked polyethers. I. Tissue reactions and biodegradation," J. Biomed. Mater. Res., this issue, pp. 307-320), microscopical evaluation after implantation of crosslinked (co)polyethers in rats showed differences in the rate of biodegradation, depending on the presence of tertiary hydrogen atoms in the main chain and the hydrophilicity of the polyet...

This tutorial review traces the development of endo-regioselective epoxide-opening reactions in water. Templated, water-promoted epoxide-opening cyclization reactions can offer rapid access to subunits of the ladder polyethers, a fascinating and complex family of natural products. This review may be of interest to those curious about the ladder polyethers and their hypothesized biogenesis, abou...

The in vivo biocompatibility and biodegradation of cross-linked (co)polyethers with and without tertiary hydrogen atoms in the main chain and differing in hydrophilicity were studied by means of subcutaneous implantation in rats. After 4 days, 1 month, and 3 months postimplantation, the tissue reactions and interactions were evaluated by light microscopy (LM) and transmission electron microscop...

The proposed biosynthetic pathways to ladder polyethers of polyketide origin and oxasqualenoids of terpenoid origin share a dramatic epoxide-opening cascade as a key step. Polycyclic structures generated in these biosynthetic pathways display biological effects ranging from potentially therapeutic properties to extreme lethality. Much of the structural complexity of ladder polyether and oxasqua...

The ability to inhibit cancer is inherent in organotin materials yet the structural relationships that regulate/direct this activity remains unknown. We measured antitumor activity using a matched pair of cell lines MDA-MB-231 cells that are estrogen-independent, estrogen receptor negative and MCF-7 cells, a cell line that is estrogen receptor (ER) positive. Those polyethers that contained a O-...

A new type of materials, the backbone-thermoresponsive hyperbranched polyether, was successfully synthesized by proton-transfer polymerization of 1,4-butanediol diglycidyl ether and various triols, and the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) values can be readily adjusted from 19.0 to 40.3 degrees C by changing the hydrophilic/hydrophobic balance of BDE and triols.

Different regioisomeric and diastereomeric isosorbide mono-epoxides are prepared polymerized to thermally stable relatively rigid biobased linear polyethers.

Organotin polyethers are easily synthesized employing interfacial polymerization systems involving the reaction of hydroxyl-containing Lewis bases and organotin halides. A wide variety of organotin-containing polymeric products have been synthesized including those derived from natural and synthetic polymers such as lignin, xylan, cellulose, dextran, and poly(vinyl alcohol). Others have been sy...

Crystalline complexes of some alkali and alkaline earth Perchlorates and picrates with macrocyclic polyethers have been synthesized. With the alkyl substituted aromatic macrocyclic polyethers bis(3,5-di-£er£-butylbenzo)-18-crown-6 and bis(4-hexadecylbenzo)-18crown-6 it was not possible to isolate all the complexes in the crystalline form. In fact the steric hindrance, caused by the alkyl substi...