Synthetic and semi-synthetic polymers for pharmaceutical applications

Abstract

This chapter presents a general description of the most common synthetic and semi-synthetic polymers, ranging from macro to nanoscopic sizes that have been used in the preparation of different pharmaceutical dosage. The polymers represent an important component of several pharmaceutical formulations. It is well-known that the formulation and clinical performance of pharmaceutical dosage forms depend on the physicochemical properties of the used polymers. Therefore, the impact of polymers is a consequence of the great advances in chemical synthesis and the analysis of their properties.In the different sections of this chapter, the most used synthetic methodologies for obtaining synthetic and semi-synthetic polymers with some representative examples of their pharmaceutical applications will be presented.