Mechanistic Aspects of the Photodegradation of Polymers Containing Metal–Metal Bonds along Their Backbones

The chapter details the photodegradation of polymers in general describing the theory and mechanistic pathways. It then details the photodegradation of polymers containing metal-to-metal bonding in the polymer backbone with the eventual aim of using metal-containing polymers to assist in the degradation of non-metal containing polymers. The photodegradation of several polymers is described and mechanism developed for degradation in both bulk and solution. It also describes the synthesis of these metal-metal polymers and the effect of photodegradation on the physical properties of the polymer.