Common natural or bio-based diacids include aspartic acid, malic acid, fumaric acid, glutaric acid, succinic acid, malonic acid, and oxalic acid. Common aldo-acid molecules include glyoxylic acid, pyruvic aldehyde acid derivatives, and oxidized sugar aldehyde-acids. While several of these can also be produced petrochemically, they typically fall within the C2–C6 carbon chain range. These shorter-chain molecules are widely incorporated into polyesters, polyamides, hydrogels, and related materials, but can impose inherent limitations on mechanical properties, flexibility, degradation behavior, and processing performance.

Leprino has developed a novel bio-derived, biocompatible polyhydroxy diacid derivative and polyhydroxy aldo-acid derivative, representing a significantly longer carbon chain length than typical bio-based options. This unique structure may enable differentiated properties such as enhanced flexibility, hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity balance, durability, or tunable degradation profiles, attributes that could meaningfully expand functionality in both bioplastics and hydrogels.

Through collaboration with external polymer experts, we aim to uncover how these new molecules perform in diverse polymerization systems and to identify the most promising pathways for future material innovation.