Question

What is a biodegradable polymer? Give an example of a biodegradable aliphatic polyester.

Answer 1

$\text{Biodegradable polymer}$

Polymers which disintegrate by themselves over a period of time, due to environment degradation by bacteria, etc., are called biodegradable polymers.

Aliphatic polyesters are one of the important classes of biodegradable polymers

$\text{Example of biodegradable aliphatic polyester}$

Poly $\beta$-hydroxybutyrate - co-$\beta$-hydroxy valerate $\left(PHBV\right)$ is an example of an aliphatic biodegradable polyester. It is obtained by the copolymerisation of $3$-hydroxybutanoic acid and $3$-hydroxypentanoic acid.

Polymerization reaction of $PHBV$ is shown below-


$PHBV$ undergoes bacterial degradation in the environment.