Material properties of degradable Poly(butylene succinate-co-fumarate) copolymer networks synthesized by polycondensation of pre-homopolyesters

Biodegradable Mulching Films Based on Polycaprolactone and Its Porous Structure Construction

Polycaprolactone (PCL) is one of the promising linear aliphatic polyesters which can be used as mulching film. Although it has suitable glass transition temperature and good biodegradability, further practical applications are restricted by the limited temperature-increasing and moisturizing properties. The rational design of the PCL structure is a good strategy to enhance the related properties. In this study, thermally-induced phase separation (TIPS) was introduced to fabricate a PCL nanoporous thin film. The introduction of a nanoporous structure on the PCL surface (np-PCL) exhibited enhanced temperature-increasing and moisturizing properties when used as mulch film. In detail, the average soil temperature of np-PCL was increased to 17.81 °C, when compared with common PCL of 17.42 °C and PBAT of 17.50 °C, and approaches to PE of 18.02 °C. In terms of water vapor transmission rate, the value for np-PCL is 637 gm^-2day^-1, which was much less than the common PCL of 786 and PBAT of 890 gm^-2day^-1. As a result, the weed biomass under the np-PCL was suppressed to be 0.35 kg m^-2, almost half of the common PCL and PBAT. In addition, the np-PCL shows good thermal stability with an onset decomposition temperature of 295 °C. The degradation mechanism and rate of the np-PCL in different pH environments were also studied to explore the influence of nanoporous structure. This work highlights the importance of the nanoporous structure in PCL to enhance the temperature-increasing and moisturizing properties of PCL-based biodegradable mulching film.

Acceleration of Polybutylene Succinate Biodegradation by Terribacillus sp. JY49 Isolated from a Marine Environment

Polybutylene succinate (PBS) is a bioplastic substitute for synthetic plastics that are made from petroleum-based products such as polyethylene and polypropylene. However, the biodegradation rate of PBS is still low and similar to that of polylactic acid (PLA). Moreover, our knowledge about degrader species is limited to a few fungi and mixed consortia. Here, to identify a bacterial degrader to accelerate PBS degradation, we screened and isolated Terribacillus sp. JY49, which showed significant degradability. In order to optimize solid and liquid culture conditions, the effect of factors such as temperature, additional carbon sources, and salt concentrations on degradation was confirmed. We observed a degradation yield of 22.3% after 7 days when adding 1% of glucose. Additionally, NaCl was added to liquid media, and degradation yield was decreased but PBS films were broken into pieces. Comparing the degree of PBS degradation during 10 days, the degradation yield was 31.4% after 10 days at 30 °C. Alteration of physical properties of films was analyzed by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), gel permeation chromatography (GPC), and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR). In addition, Terribacillus sp. JY49 showed clear zones on poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT), polycaprolactone (PCL), and copolymers such as P(3HB-co-3HV) and P(3HV-co-4HB), exhibiting a broad spectrum of degradation activities on bioplastics. However, there was no significant difference in absorbance when esterase activity was examined for different types of bioplastics. Overall, Terribacillus sp. JY49 is a potential bacterial strain that can degrade PBS and other bioplastics, and this is the first report of Terribacillus sp. as a bioplastic degrader.

A Review on Current Strategies for the Modulation of Thermomechanical, Barrier, and Biodegradation Properties of Poly (Butylene Succinate) (PBS) and Its Random Copolymers

The impact of plastics on the environment can be mitigated by employing biobased and/or biodegradable materials (i.e., bioplastics) instead of the traditional “commodities”. In this context, poly (butylene succinate) (PBS) emerges as one of the most promising alternatives due to its good mechanical, thermal, and barrier properties, making it suitable for use in a wide range of applications. Still, the PBS has some drawbacks, such as its high crystallinity, which must be overcome to position it as a real and viable alternative to “commodities”. This contribution covers the actual state-of-the-art of the PBS through different sections. The first section reviews the different synthesis routes, providing a complete picture regarding the obtained molecular weights and the greener alternatives. Afterward, we examine how different strategies such as random copolymerization and the incorporation of fillers can effectively modulate PBS properties to satisfy the needs for different applications. The impact of these strategies is evaluated in the crystallization behavior, crystallinity, mechanical and barrier properties, and biodegradation. The biodegradation is carefully analyzed, highlighting the wide variety of methodologies existing in the literature to measure PBS degradation through different routes (hydrolytic, enzymatic, and soil).

Polybutylene Succinate, A potential bio-degradable polymer: Synthesis, copolymerization And Bio-degradation

Poly(butylene succinate) is one of the emerging bio-degradable polymer, which has huge potential to be employed in a wide range of applications. Further, it is also recognized as one of...

Facile preparation of stereochemistry-controllable biobased poly(butylene maleate-co-butylene fumarate) unsaturated copolyesters: a chemoselective polymer platform for versatile functionalization via aza-Michael addition

Biobased stereochemistry-controllable poly(butylene maleate-co-butylene fumarate) unsaturated copolyesters were facilely prepared as a chemoselective polymer platform for versatile functionalization via aza-Michael addition.