Photodegradable plastic Biodegradable polymers

Quantum Chemicals (natural and synthetic polymers, biodegradable and photodegradable plastics, and chromatography). 

The first is to incorporate photosensitive groupings in the polymer backbone. The introduction of carbonyl, the product normally produced by hydroperoxide breakdown has been investigated by Guillet and his co-workers and some success has been reported. The same economic arguments apply to a tailor-made photodegradable plastics as applies to a biodegradable plastics that is, it will cost very much more than the common packaging materials. 

Kawai F, Shibata M, Yokoyama S, Maeda S, Tada K and Hayashi S (1999) Biodegradability of Scott-Gilead photodegradable polyethylene and polyethylene wax by microorganisms . Degradability, Renewability and Recycling, 5th International Scientific Workshop on biodegradable Plastics and Polymers, Macromolecular Symposia, eds, Albertsson A-C, Chiellini E, Feijen J, Scott G and Vert M, Wiley-VCH, pp. 73-84. 

Biodegradable plastics, as well as those polymers that degrade in sunlight (photodegradable,... 

Unsaturated carbon-chain polymers e.g. the polydiene rubbers discussed above) are very susceptible to peroxidation and hence biodegradation. Some of these have been studied as photodegradable polymers in their own right. For example 1,2-poly (butadiene) is a plastic with properties similar to the polyolefins. In unstabilised form it photo-oxidises and thermooxidises rather too rapidly to be very useful commercially. 

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