Development of Biodegradable Synthetic Polymers by In-vestment of Affinity with Micro-organisms

本研究基于在聚甲基丙烯酸甲酯的主链中加入少量的吡啶基团使聚甲基丙烯酸甲酯可生物降解的发现，旨在开发通过部分修饰化学结构来投资合成聚合物可生物降解性的新技术。将甲基丙烯酸甲酯均聚物与主链中含有n -苄基-4-乙烯基氯化吡啶的聚甲基丙烯酸甲酯混合后，均聚物不发生降解。整体高分子材料与微生物亲和性的增强对合成聚合物的生物降解没有作用，而在主链中加入吡啶基团对合成聚合物的生物降解性的投资是必不可少的。考察了多种吡啶基团，发现n -烯丙基-4-乙烯基溴化吡啶和n -甲基-4-乙烯基碘化吡啶对聚甲基丙烯酸甲酯生物降解性的投资效果优于n -苄基-4-乙烯基氯化吡啶。以n -苄基-4-乙烯基氯化吡啶为主链和n -苄基-4-乙基氯化吡啶为模式化合物的聚甲基丙烯酸甲酯降解的分子水平研究。模型化合物的主要反应产物是4-乙基吡啶。主链中含有n -苄基-4-乙烯基氯化吡啶的聚甲基丙烯酸甲酯在生物处理过程中丢失氯。这些观察结果表明，生物降解过程中存在一个重要的化学过程。包括消除氯化苄。聚合物链中含有吡啶基的聚己二胺（六亚甲基己二胺）可被活性污泥降解，本方法适用于缩聚制备的合成聚合物。

Based on a finding that poly(methyl methacrylate) turned biodegradable by incorporation of a small amount of pyridinium group into the main chain, this research was aimed at development of new technology for investment of biodegradability for synthetic polymers by partial modification of chemical structure, During the treatment with activated sludge, blended samples of homopolymer of methyl methacrylate with poly(methyl methacrylate) containing N-benzyl-4-vinylpyridinium chloride in the main chain, the homopolymer did not exhibit degradation. Enhancement of the affinity of whole polymeric materials with micro-organisms did not exert biodegradation of the synthetic polymer, and incorporation of the pyridinium group into the main chain was found to be essentially necessary for the investment of biodegradability for synthetic polymers. A variety of pyridinium groups were examined and N-allyl-4-vinylpyridinium bromide and N-methyl-4-vinylpyridinium iodide were found to be more effective than N-benzyl-4-vinylpyridinium chloride in the investment of biodegradability for poly(methyl methacrylate). Molecular level investigation on the degradation of poly(methyl methacrylate) containing N-benzyl-4-vinylpyri-dinium chloride in the main chain as well as N-benzyl-4-ethylpyridinium chloride as a model compound. The major reaction product from the model compound was 4-ethylpyridine. Poly(methyl methacry-late) containing N-benzyl-4-vinylpyridinium chloride in the main chain lost chlorine during the biological treatment. These observations indicated that an importance chemical process during the biodegradation. included elimination of benzyl chloride. Poly(hexamethylen adipamide) containing pyridyl group in the polymer chain was found to be degraded by the action of activated sludge, and the present methodology was shown to be applicable for synthetic polymers prepared by polycondensation.