Biodegradable polyesters

1 mark · Easy

State the type of chemical bond in the backbone of PLA that makes it more biodegradable than poly(ethene).

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Ester bond (linkage)

Must show: 'Ester' must appear in answer

Also accept: Ester linkage

Common mistakes: Saying only 'covalent bond' rather than 'ester bond'

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Marking points

A1 · 1 mark · Correctly states 'ester bond' or 'ester linkage'.

Worked solution

The main backbone of PLA contains ester bonds, which can be broken down by hydrolysis, making PLA biodegradable.