Biodegradation of poly(vinyl alcohol) with high syndiotacticity (
s-PVA) was studied under the presence of
Pseudomonas sp. as a bacterium. The effects of stereoregularity of
s-PVA on its biodegradability were evaluated compared to PVA homologs,
i.e. atactic PVA (
a-PVA) and isotactic PVA (
i-PVA). Changes in total organic carbon concentration (TOC) in PVA cultures with incubation time were checked, and pentad tacticity was estimated by
13C NMR analysis for tacticity contents of degraded PVA. TOC in
i-PVA culture decreased rapidly in early stage of the incubation. Sixty-two percent of initial amounts of
i-PVA was assimilated in 12 days of incubation. On the contrary, only 13% of the initial amounts of
s-PVA was assimilated even after 20 days of incubation. Little changes were observed in
1H NMR spectrum of
s-PVA compared with that of
a-PVA or
i-PVA after the incubations. It was obviously confirmed in the present work that
mmmm sequence is especially subject to degradation in meso sequences on the basis of
13C NMR analysis and the enzyme engaged in this degradation should have a sequence selectivity at pentad level. Experimental results supports the view that
i-PVA having a number of long meso sequences should be susceptible to biodegradation, and
s-PVA should not so.
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