Grinstaff, Mark W.Fitzgerald, Danielle M.2025-03-262024https://hdl.handle.net/2144/499452024The development of sustainable polymers that participate in a circular economy, from manufacture through disposal, is imperative for the next generation of novel performance materials. Specifically for medicine, additional requirements of biocompatibility and degradation necessitate thoughtful material design at the molecular level. Polycarbonates and polyesters are promising biomaterials for fulfilling these requirements. Herein, the development of poly(glycerol carbonate)s for use as pressure sensitive adhesives and drug delivery vehicles in medicine are discussed. This green polymerization, featuring low catalyst loadings, neat reaction conditions, and carbon dioxide incorporation, generates a sustainable alternative to commodity polyacrylic-based materials. The development of poly(glycerol carbonate) for applications in thoracic surgery and drug delivery are discussed, with an emphasis on defining the structure-property relationships between polymer composition and adhesive performance. The influence of both intermolecular interactions and intramolecular cohesion are probed, leading to a greater understanding of adhesive design on the molecular level. Applications of poly(glycerol carbonate) are then extended beyond adhesion to anti-cancer therapy, where a polycarbonate-based block copolymer and a polyester mesh formulation are each explored for their efficacy in localized chemotherapeutic delivery.en-USPolymer chemistryChemistryMaterials scienceBiomaterialChemistryDrug deliveryPoly(glycerol carbonate)Polymer chemistryPressure sensitive adhesiveThesis/Dissertation2025-03-180000-0001-7158-0522