Polycaprolactone (PCL)
Term: Polycaprolactone (PCL)
Category: Polymer
Definition: Polycaprolactone (PCL) is a biocompatible and biodegradable synthetic polymer. It is produced through the use of ring-opening polymerization of epsilon caprolactone. Its low melting point, high elasticity, and very good ability to be used with a wide range of bioactive agents and synthetic polymers. Because PCL has a very slow rate of degradation when placed into physiological environments, it is ideal for long-term medical uses where long-term structural support is required.
Source: Synthetic polymer
Structure: Repeating ester-linked units derived from ε-caprolactone (–[–O–(CH₂)₅–CO–]ₙ–).
Uses: PCL is widely used in
- long-term drug delivery systems
- tissue engineering scaffolds
- wound healing matrices
- resorbable implants
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