Hydrolysis is a chemical reaction in which water is used to break a chemical bond. In polymer chemistry, hydrolysis often refers to the cleavage of a polymer chain by the addition of a water molecule. This reaction can be catalyzed by acids or bases. Hydrolysis is a common mechanism for the degradation of polymers, especially those containing ester or amide linkages in their backbone.

水解是一种化学反应，其中水用于破坏化学键。在高分子化学中，水解通常是指通过添加水分子来裂解聚合物链。该反应可以由酸或碱催化。水解是聚合物降解的常见机制，尤其是那些主链中含有酯或酰胺键的聚合物。