The effect of plasma surface graft of acrylic acid (AAc) on the biodegradation and physical properties of poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) films was investigated in the present paper. The surface microstructures and compositions of the grafted PBS films were characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM), high-resolution X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Water contact angle measurements and biodegradation tests under compost conditions were also carried out to study the wettability and biodegradability of the films. It is found that the biodegradation rates of the PBS films can be evidently accelerated by plasma surface graft of AAc. The present study might be helpful to produce the PBS films with enhanced biodegradability. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.