Degradation kinetics of photopolymerizable poly(lactic acid) films

A series of acrylic poly(lactic acid) (PLA) films were produced via photopolymerization. Enzymatic degradation of the films was investigated by submerging or spraying the films with a solution of proteinase K, Chromobacterium viscosum (CvL), Rhizomucor miehei (RmL), or Candida cylindracea (CcL). Degradation was monitored by titration of the carboxylic acid groups, MS, and MS/MS. It was found that the degradation rate of the films was dependent on the water uptake of the film and enzyme solution used. The highest degradation rates, for both systems, were obtained by use of a proteinase K solution. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 40475.