2023 Volume 59 Issue 2 Pages 56-64
As the issue of marine plastic waste becomes more serious，the development of plastics having switched degradability that have sufficient performance while in use but change to degradability in ocean discharge after disposal is requested. As for adhesives，they should exhibit a similar switch function，although they are used in smaller quantities than plastic body. Based on the concept of photo-switchable hydrolyzability exhibited by hydroxycinnamic acid polymers several years before，the authors developed a new bionylon that exhibits abovementioned function from itaconic acid. Itaconic acid is widely used for adhesives because it is a rare biomolecule with acrylate group. On the other hand， itaconic acid have two carboxylic acids which can also be used as a biobased diacidic monomer for nylon. This commentary paper describes this bionylon with taking into account the social background and recent trends in biobased and biodegradable polymers and bionylon potential as an adhesive that exhibits switch-type biodegradability.
