We have examined synthesis of sugar branched polymer as a biodegradable material by utilizing natural substances. Biodegradation of a poly(vinyl alcohol) (PV−OH) having sugars and fatty acids was observed by a biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) tester using the oxygen consumption method. PV−OH is known as a biodegradable polymer by PV−OH assimilating microbes that are not distributed widely. In this paper, the sugar branched polymers were degraded depending upon the molecular weights, and the polymer having a molecular weight (M n) of 3600 was degraded at 70−80% within 28 days by a soil or an activated sludge without addition of PV−OH assimilating microbes. This is because the proportion of PV−OH main chain in the molecular weight of the polymer is low. PV−OH with low molecular weight can be degraded without PV−OH assimilating microbes. These results indicate that the polymer is completely biodegradable and may have application as a new type of water-soluble material.

Although highly strained vinylcyclopropanes have been reported to undergo ringopening polymerization in the presence of radical initiators,'i2 the radical ring-opening polymerization of vinylcyclobutanes as highly strained as cyclopropanes has not been studied. Although the polymerization of methylene-cyclobutane by Ziegler-Natta catalysts and cationic catalyst^^,^ has been reported to obtain polymers predominantly

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