The Polymer Society of Korea

Abstract

The accelerated blood clearance (ABC) effect associated with PEG-containing mRNA vaccines has highlighted the need for alternative hydrophilic polymers. Poly(glycerol) (PG) has emerged as a promising candidate due to its excellent biocompatibility and lack of ABC induction. To assess the potential of PG as a PEG alternative, we synthesized linear PG via ring-opening anionic polymerization and investigated the chain conformation and aqueous solubility of PG and PEG using small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). SANS analysis revealed that PG exhibited a smaller radius of gyration (R_g) than PEG, indicating a more compact polymer conformation. Both polymers showed positive second virial coefficients (A₂), confirming good solubility in water. Notably, PG exhibited a larger A₂ value, suggesting superior aqueous solubility compared to PEG. These findings offer valuable structural insights supporting the potential use of PG as a hydrophilic alternative to PEG in biomedical applications.