Bioanalogous polymers with poly(alkylene phosphate) chains

Synthetic poly(alkylene phosphate)s with repeating units constituted of five or six atoms, i.e., (CH2)nOP(O)(OH)O‐, where n=2 or 3, mimick backbones of biopolymers: nucleic acids. (NA) and teichoic acids (TA). Progress in the synthesis of these polymers is briefly reviewed. The newly developed synthesis of ionic gels, based on reaction of H3PO4 with diepoxides, leads to products with repeating units of TA. These highly water swellable gels slowly hydrolyse at the triester knots, and convert into linear poly(alkylene phosphate)s, stable in water (containing only hydrolytically stable mono‐ and diester units). Polymers modeling TA, poly(1,2‐glycerol phosphate) and its acetate as well as poly(trimethylene phosphate) were studied in the ion transport processes ‐ one of the basic functions of TA, major component in membranes of cell walls of Gram‐positive bacteria. Transport of Mg2+ and Ca2+ ions is analysed, and dependence of the ratio of fluxes of these ions with poly(alkylene phosphate) liquid membranes on the structure of the polymer used is discussed.