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

基于聚甲基丙烯酸甲酯通过在主链中引入少量吡啶基团而具有生物降解性的发现，本研究旨在开发通过部分改变化学结构来投资合成聚合物生物降解性的新技术。在活性污泥处理过程中，主链上含有N-苄基-4-乙烯基吡啶的聚甲基丙烯酸甲酯均聚物样品没有发生降解。提高整个聚合物材料与微生物的亲和力并没有对合成聚合物进行生物降解，研究发现，将吡啶基团引入主链对于提高合成聚合物的生物降解性是必要的。考察了不同的吡啶基团，发现N-烯丙基-4-乙烯基吡啶溴化物和N-甲基-4-乙烯基吡啶碘化物比N-苄基-4-乙烯基吡啶氯化物对聚甲基丙烯酸甲酯的生物降解性投资更有效。以N-苄基-4-乙基吡啶氯化物为模型化合物，在分子水平上研究了主链含N-苄基-4-乙烯基吡啶的聚甲基丙烯酸甲酯的降解。模型化合物的主要反应产物为4-乙基吡啶。主链上含有N-苄基-4-乙烯基吡啶的聚甲基丙烯酸甲酯在生物处理过程中出现脱氯现象。这些观察表明，在生物降解过程中，一个重要的化学过程。包括消除氯化苄基。在活性污泥的作用下，含有吡啶基团的聚己二酸六亚甲基己二酰胺被降解，本方法适用于缩聚合成聚合物。

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.