Iodinated polyesters as a versatile platform for radiopaque biomaterials

The design of polymeric biomaterials with long‐lasting X‐ray contrast could advance safe and effective implants and contrast agents. Herein, a new set of wholly aliphatic, iodinated polyesters are synthesized and evaluated as high‐contrast biomaterials and nanoparticle contrast agents for general computed tomography imaging. A single iodinated monomer is used to synthesize a variety of aliphatic polyesters with tunable thermal and mechanical properties. These iodinated polyesters are end‐functionalized with a photocurable methacrylate group, which allows easy processability. The resulting materials exhibit no cytotoxicity and are radiopaque, containing over 40% iodine by weight after processing. The polymers can be formulated into lipid–polymer hybrid nanoparticles using a modified nanoprecipitation method. Initial studies indicate that these nanoparticles show good continual contrast over 60 minutes with no uptake into the kidneys. The work presented here illustrates a novel platform for iodinated polyesters that exhibit high radiopacity and processability, low cost, and no cytotoxicity. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2017 , 55 , 2171–2177