Syntheses and chemical transformations of glycolide and lactide as monomers for biodegradable polymers

Glycolide and lactide function as the commonly used diester monomers for preparation of high-molecular weight, degradation-prone (co-)polyesters. Both glycolide lactide-based polymers are widely in medicine, pharmaceuticals, food industry, additive technologies. This review on diesters, spanning research from 1833-1854 to present, encompassing their structural peculiarities, physico-chemical properties, range different methods obtaining them – including reaction mechanisms lactic glycolic acids, esters, halogen derivatives. The also discusses chemical transformations (apart ring-opening polymerization) into valuable organic compounds, such acrylic acid, nitrogen-containing heterocycles, functional with novel properties.