| | Polymer | Basic properties | Possible biomedical applications | References |
| | Collagen | Biocompatible, biodegradable, great tensile strength, and weak antigenicity. The isoelectric point is 8.26. Young’s modulus in the range from 3.7 to 11.5 GPa | Wound healing, tissue engineering, hemostatic agent, bone grafts | [90–93] | | Chitin | Nontoxic, biodegradable, biocompatible, and antimicrobial and hydrating agent. Highly hydrophobic, insoluble in water and even most organic solvents | Tissue engineering scaffolds, drug delivery, wound dressings, antibacterial coatings, and sensors | [94–97] | | Chitosan (CS) | Nontoxic, biodegradable, and biocompatible polymer. Tensile strength is 0.0650 MPa, Young’s modulus in the range from 0.00443 to 0.0236 MPa; it is degraded after 220°C | Tissue engineering scaffolds, bone regeneration, angiogenesis, and wound healing | [98, 99] | | Poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) | Biodegradable, amphiphilic, flexible, nontoxic, and biocompatible polyester with melting point of around 60°C and a glass transition temperature of about −60°C | Tissue engineering, long-term implantable devices, drug delivery systems, microencapsulation, and scaffold for tissue repair | [100–103] | | Polyurethane elastomers (eLPU) | Biocompatible, biodegradable and with tailorable chemical and physical forms. Glass transition temperature about −73 to −23°C, Young’s modulus in the range from 0.002 to 0.003 GPa, tensile strength, and yield stress in a range from 25 to 51 MPa | Used in catheters, drug delivery vehicles, prosthetic implants, surgical dressings/pressure sensitive adhesives, tissue engineering scaffolds, and cardiac patches | [104–107] | | Poly(amide) (PA) | High crystallinity, good mechanical properties including high tensile strength, high flexibility, good resilience, low rates of biodegradation, very high tenacity, and excellent sliding characteristics and wear resistance. Conductivity: 10−12 S/m, melting point: 190–35°C, thermal conductivity: 0.25 W/(m·K) | Used as suture material, ligament and tendon repair, balloon of catheters, and dialysis membranes | [108–112] | | Polyether ether ketone (PEEK) | Semicrystalline, excellent mechanical, very stable, and chemical resistance properties. Glass temperature: 143°C, Thermal conductivity: 0.25 W/(m·K), melting point: 343°C, Young’s modulus: 3.6 GPa, tensile strength: 90–100 MPa | Orthopedic applications or inner lining of catheters | [113–116] | | Poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) | Strong and impact-resistant, excellent water and moisture barrier material, biostable, insoluble in water, melting point: >250°C, glass transition temperature: 67–81°C, Young’s modulus: 2800–3100 MPa, tensile strength: 55–75 MPa thermal conductivity: 0.15 to 0.24 W/m.K | Used for membranes, vascular grafts, surgical meshes, and ligament and tendon repair | [117–119] | | Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) | Nontoxic, nonimmunogenic, nonantigenic, hydrophilic, bioresorbable, and biocompatible polymer. Flash point: 182–287°C. | Used as antifouling coating on catheters, hydrogel or as pore former in dialysis membranes and drug delivery systems | [120, 121] | | Poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) | Hydrophobic, stable, biocompatible, bioinert, flexible, and soft rubbery behavior | Used for catheters, nucleus pulposus substitute, plastic surgery, intraocular lenses, glaucoma drainage devices, and dialysis membranes | [122–126] | | Polyglycolic acid (PGA) | High crystallinity (45–55%), high tensile modulus, poor solubility in organic solvents. Excellent fiber forming ability. High rate of degradation and acidic degradation products. Glass transition temperature: 35–40°C and melting point 235–230°C, tensile strength: 340–920 MPa, Young’s modulus 7–14 GPa | Regenerative biological tissue, bone internal fixation devices, tissue engineering scaffolds, suture anchors, meniscus repair, medical devices, and drug delivery | [127–129] | | Poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) | Degradable, good tensile strength. glass transition temperature: 50–60°C and melting point 170–190°C, tensile strength: 870–2300 MPa, Young’s modulus 10–16 GPa | Orthopedic fixation tools, ligament and tendon repair, and vascular stents | [130–132] |
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