Hydroxypolycarbonates (HPC) offer to the biomedical area hydroxyl functional polymers not now readily available to bind drugs, proteins, or carbohydrate polymers chemically or via hydrogen bonding to facilitate drug delivery and utility with subsequent biodegradability to acceptable byproducts. The cyclic carbonate (CC) from the monoketal diol of pentaerythritol polymerized in CHCl.sub.3 at 60.degree. C. with Et.sub.2 Zn catalyst in CHCl.sub.3 at 60.degree. C. in 4 hours to a quantitative yield of high molecular weight, crystalline polymer (PCC), melt peak 199.degree. C. and Tg of 99.degree. C. PCC is readily hydrolyzed with 80% acetic acid to the water-insoluble but water-swollen HPC, poly[5,5-bis(hydroxymethyl)-1,3-dioxan-2-one], with M.sub.w =3.1.times.10.sup.4. HPC degrades completely in vitro in <16 hours in PBS-1X buffer (Ph 7.4, 37.degree. C.) to pentaerythritol and presumably CO.sub.2. This rapid degradation rate is decreased with random copolymers of HPC with CC, .epsilon.-caprolactone, or .sub.L -lactide. HPC and PCC may have important biomaterial applications as is and as the copolymers noted above or with ethylene oxide or other desirable comonomers. PCC and CC copolymers have properties attractive to the biomedical area as is or by conversion to the HPC product provided by hydrolysis or by in vivo enzymatic attack.

De aanbieding van Hydroxypolycarbonates (HPC) aan de biomedische functionele beschikbare polymeren van de gebiedshydroxyl niet nu gemakkelijk om drugs, proteïnen, of koolhydraatpolymeren te binden chemisch of via waterstof het plakken om druglevering en nut met verdere biologische afbreekbaarheid aan aanvaardbare bijproducten te vergemakkelijken. Het cyclische carbonaat (CC) van monoketal diol van pentaerythritol die in CHCl.sub.3 bij 60.degree. C. met de katalysator van Zn Et.sub.2 in CHCl.sub.3 bij 60.degree. C. in 4 uren aan een kwantitatieve opbrengst van hoog moleculegewicht, kristallijn polymeer (PCC) wordt gepolymeriseerd wordt, smelting piek199.degree. C. en Tg van 99.degree. C. PCC gemakkelijk gehydroliseerd met 80% azijnzuur aan niet in water oplosbaar maar water-gezweld HPC, poly[5,5-bis(hydroxymethyl)-1.3-dioxan-2- ], met M.sub.w = degradeert HPC 3.1.times.10.sup.4. volledig in vitro binnen