Synthesis and microbial degradation of poly(2-methyl phenylene oxide)

The synthesis and biodegradation of poly(2-methyl phenylene oxide) was studied as an example of a synthetic polymer containing a biodegradable aromatic backbone. Polymer prepared with cuprous 2,2-isopropoxy ethyl pyridine catalyst demonstrated good blending properties with polystyrene. In soil experiments, the homopolymer degraded readily with over 50% reduction in 40 days. No oligomeric intermediates were observed by gel permeation chromatography, suggesting degradation by cell-associated enzymes.