Conformational differences of poly( L-lactic acid) and poly( D,L-lactic acid) in dilute solutions.

Poly( L-lactic acid) and poly( D,L-lactic acid) samples have been synthesized through ring-opening polymerization. Studying homological series of two poly(lactic acids) by molecular hydrodynamics and optical methods has shown that poly- L-lactide chains in solution exhibit higher equilibrium rigidity than poly- D,L-lactide chains, which is explained by different chain tacticity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]