Patent ID: 7202325

Claim:
A composition comprising a polymer consisting of a poly(hydroxyalkanoate-co-ester amide) copolymer represented by a formula: wherein A comprises a hydroxyalkanoate monomer and A:B is less than, greater than, or equal to one; each R 1 comprises a component that is independently selected from a group consisting of alkylenes, alkanoates, alkyl alkanoates, diesters, acylals, diacids, saturated fatty acids, glycerides, and combinations thereof, wherein R 1 is selected such that the length of the hydroxyalkanoate monomer does not exceed a length of about 200 nm; each of R 2 and R 4 comprise a component that is independently selected from a group consisting of hydrogen; oxygen-containing groups comprising a hydroxyl, carboxyl, carbonyl, alkoxyl, or epoxyl; nitrogen-containing groups comprising an amino, amido, nitro, cyano, isocyanate, azido, diazo, hydrazine, azo, or azoxyl; sulfur-containing groups comprising a thio, thiol, or sulfide; substituted, unsubstituted, hetero-, straight-chained, branched, cyclic, saturated and unsaturated aliphatic radicals; and substituted, unsubstituted, and hetero-aromatic radicals, wherein each of the aliphatic or aromatic radicals of R 2 and R 4 has from 1 to 10 carbon atoms; each of R 3 comprises a component that is independently selected from a group consisting of oxygen-containing groups comprising a hydroxyl, carboxyl, carbonyl, alkoxyl, or epoxyl; nitrogen-containing groups comprising an amino, amido, nitro, cyano, isocyanate, azido, diazo, hydrazine, azo, or azoxyl; sulfur-containing groups comprising a thio, thiol, or sulfide; substituted, unsubstituted, hetero-, straight-chained, branched, cyclic, saturated and unsaturated aliphatic radicals; and substituted, unsubstituted, and hetero- aromatic radicals, wherein each of the aliphatic or aromatic radicals of R 3 has from 1 to 10 carbon atoms; at least one of L 1 , B, L 2 or X is optional; and at least one of L 1 , B, L 2 or X comprises an oligomer of an ester amide or a poly(ester amide); wherein, L 1 is a linkage connecting A to B, X is an optional moiety, L 2 is a linkage connecting X to the polymer, k and m are integers, and n and z are integers not equal to zero.