Marine Biodegradation of Poly(butylene succinate) Incorporating Disulfide Bonds Triggered by a Switch Function in Response to Reductive Stimuli
Toyokazu Tsutsuba, Yuya Tachibana, Moe Shimizu, Ken‐ichi Kasuya
Abstract
Although poly(butylene succinate) (PBSu) is degraded in compost and soil, it does not undergo degradation in the ocean. This study incorporated a switch function into PBSu to release low-molar-mass compounds that microorganisms can metabolize to enable biodegradation in ocean environments. The disulfide bonds in poly(butylene succinate- co -butylene dithioglycolate) (PBSDT) undergo reductive degradation in an environment with low oxidation–reduction potential (ORP), such as marine sediments. It acts as a switch to initiate PBSDT biodegradation. The reduced degradation compound, thioglycolate-butylene-succinate-butylene-thioglycolate, showed high biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) biodegradability. In contrast, PBSDTs had low BOD biodegradability under conditions of high ORP. In addition, the high-molar-mass PBSDT was molded into a film for experiments in mechanical strength.