A polyhydroxyalkanoate comprises a unit of formula (1): -(O-CH((CH2)mSASO2R)CH2C(O))-
wherein R is selected from the group consisting of OH, a halogen atom, ONa, OK,
OCH3 and OC2H5; A represents a substituted or
unsubstituted aliphatic hydrocarbon structure; m is an integer number selected
from 1 to 8; and in the case where a plurality of units exist in the same molecule,
R, A and m in one unit can be different from them in another unit respectively.
A method of producing the polyhydroxyalkanoate comprises the step of reacting a
polyhydroxyalkanoate comprising a unit of formula (18): -(O-CH((CH2)mBr)CH2C(O))-,
wherein m is an integer number selected from 1 to 8, and in the case where a plurality
of units exist in the same molecule, m in one unit can be different from that in
another unit, with at least one type of compounds of formula (19): HS-A1-SO2R15
wherein R15 is selected from the group consisting of OH, a halogen
atom, ONa, OK, OCH3 and OC2H5 and A1 is
a substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic hydrocarbon structure, and in the case
where a plurality of types of compounds exist in the same molecule, R15 and
A1 in one unit can be different from them in another unit respectively.
