Synthesis of a novel water-soluble copolymer composed of 2-methylene-1,3,6-trioxocane and N-vinyl 2-pyrrolidone and its enzymatic degradation

Abstract.

2-Methylene-1,3,6-trioxocane (MTC) was copolymerized with N-vinyl-2-pyrroridone (NVP) at 60 °C to give enzymatic degradability to water-soluble poly-NVP (PNVP) and thus prepare a water-soluble PNVP containing an ester–ether moiety in the backbone of PNVP. The copolymer of MTC and NVP (poly-MTC–NVP) was hydrolyzed by Rhizopus arrhizus lipase. Using gel permeation chromatography, it was found that the molecular weight of poly-MTC–NVP after the lipase acted on it decreased compared with that of the original copolymer. In the case of poly-MTC–NVP with a small ester–ether moiety, the enzymatic degradability was particularly high.