Polyvinyl-type poly biodegradation

Biodegradation of Polyvinyl-Type Poly(sodium carboxylate). PVA is the only substance which is known to be biodegradable in the class of polyvinyl-type synthetic polymer. It may be biodegraded by oxidizing hydroxyl group of PVA to the corresponding carbonyl group and subsequent hydrolysis as shown below (17, 18). 

As a design to develop a polyvinyl-type poly(sodium carboxylate), acrylate copolymers containing hydroxyl or carbonyl groups which are susceptible to the enzymatic reaction, were prepared. It is presumed that the copolymer is first cleaved at a hydroxyl or carbonyl group as in the case of PVA, then the resultant acrylate oligomer is further assimilated by the microbes. The biodegradation of oligomeric acrylic acid (11), in fact, occurs as shown in Table I. 

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