Which combination of monomers is used to adjust hydrolysis rates of the polymer?

The combination of lactide and glycolide is used to adjust hydrolysis rates of the polymer because both are biodegradable polymers that can influence the degradation characteristics of the resulting material. Lactide, derived from lactic acid, and glycolide, derived from glycolic acid, are two commonly used monomers for creating polylactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) copolymers.

By varying the ratios of lactide to glycolide during polymer synthesis, it is possible to tailor the polymer's properties, including its hydrophilicity and hydrolysis rate. Glycolide contributes to a faster degradation due to its shorter aliphatic structure, which can enhance the rate of hydrolysis when compared to polymers made solely from lactide, which degrades more slowly. The manipulation of the copolymer's composition directly impacts the rate at which it absorbs water and subsequently breaks down, optimizing the material for specific applications in tissue engineering, such as drug delivery or scaffold formation.

Different combinations of other monomers, such as those listed in the other choices, may not provide the same level of control over hydrolysis rates or may not produce polymers suitable for the desired applications in the same way as combining lactide and glycolide.