Compostable Polymer Materials This Page Intentionally Left Blank Compostable Polymer Materials

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Compostable Polymer Materials This Page Intentionally Left Blank Compostable Polymer Materials Compostable Polymer Materials This page intentionally left blank Compostable Polymer Materials Ewa Rudnik Amsterdam • Boston • Heidelberg • London • New York • Oxford Paris • San Diego • San Francisco • Singapore • Sydney • Tokyo Elsevier The Boulevard, Langford Lane, Kidlington, Oxford OX5 1GB, UK Radarweg 29, PO Box 211, 1000 AE Amsterdam, The Netherlands First edition 2008 Copyright © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publisher Permissions may be sought directly from Elsevier’s Science & Technology Rights Department in Oxford, UK: phone (ϩ44) (0) 1865 843830; fax (ϩ44) (0) 1865 853333; email: [email protected]. Alternatively you can submit your request online by visiting the Elsevier web site at http://elsevier.com/locate/permissions, and selecting Obtaining permission to use Elsevier material British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress ISBN: 978-0-08-045371-2 For information on all elsevier publications visit our website at www.books.elsevier.com Typeset by Charon Tec Ltd (A Macmillan Company), Chennai, India www.charontec.com Printed and bound in Hungary 08 09 10 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Contents Preface vii Symbols and abbreviations xi CHAPTER 1 Introduction 3 1.1 Situation in Europe 4 1.2 Situation in the United States 6 1.3 Situation in other regions of the world 6 References 7 CHAPTER 2 Compostable polymer materials – definitions, structures and methods of preparation 11 2.1 Biodegradable polymers from renewable resources 14 2.2 Other compostable polymers from renewable resources 25 2.3 Biodegradable polymers from petrochemical sources 28 References 35 CHAPTER 3 Properties and applications 39 3.1 Biodegradable polymers from renewable resources 39 3.2 Biodegradable polymers from petrochemical sources 52 3.3 Blends 60 3.4 Summary 63 References 64 CHAPTER 4 Thermal and thermooxidative degradation 73 4.1 Biodegradable polymers from renewable resources 73 4.2 Biodegradable polymers from petrochemical sources 77 4.3 Blends 79 4.4 Summary of thermal stability of compostable polymer materials 80 References 83 CHAPTER 5 Composting methods and legislation 89 5.1 Composting definitions 89 5.2 Composting process and methods 89 5.3 Composting of biodegradable polymers 98 5.4 Labelling systems in different regions 103 5.5 Cooperation between certification and labelling systems 108 References 109 vi Contents CHAPTER 6 Biodegradability testing of compostable polymer materials 113 6.1 Definitions related to biodegradation testing 113 6.2 International standards related to composting 115 6.3 Principles of main standards related to composting and biodegradability testing 117 6.4 Composting at laboratory scale 123 6.5 Biodegradability testing methods 127 6.6 Biodegradation of biodegradable polymers from renewable resources 130 6.7 Biodegradation of biodegradable polymers from petrochemical sources 142 6.8 Biodegradation of blends 153 6.9 Summary of composting 159 References 159 CHAPTER 7 Ecotoxicological assessment 169 7.1 Introduction 169 7.2 Definitions 170 7.3 Methods 170 7.4 Compostable polymers ecotoxicity testing 176 7.5 Conclusions 177 References 180 CHAPTER 8 Environmental impact of compostable polymer materials 183 8.1 Introduction 183 8.2 Life cycle assessment methodology 183 8.3 Life cycle assessment of poly(lactic acid) 186 8.4 Polyhydroxyalkanoates 187 8.5 Starch-based polymers 191 8.6 Blends 192 8.7 Overview 194 8.8 Conclusions 197 References 198 CHAPTER 9 Perspectives 203 9.1 Price evolution 203 9.2 Capacity 204 9.3 Legislation initiatives 204 9.4 Demand estimation 206 9.5 Conclusions 207 References 208 Index 209 Preface Let us permit nature to have her way. She understands her business better than we do. Michel do Montaigne If one way be better than another, that you may be sure is Nature’s way. Aristotle Composting is Nature’s way of recycling. When a plant dies, the stem, flowers and leaves are broken down by microbes in the soil and the nutrients they contain will feed the seed to grow into a seedling and then into a mature plant. The cycle is complete. The natural decay proc- esses that occur in soil include raw organic materials like manure, leaves, grass clippings, food wastes and municipal biosolids. During composting organic residues are converted to stable soil-like humic substances, called compost. This final product is a valuable soil resource for agricultural, horticultural and silvicultural purposes. Composting is probably the oldest recycling technique in the world. The art of composting dates back to the early Greeks and Romans. There are also biblical references to composting. The Chinese are thought to be the first people to develop larger composting sites for use in farming. George Washington, the first president of the USA, was the first recognized com- poster in America. The knowledge and practices of composting were passed from country to country, down through generations until today where modern composting facilities have been developed. The composting process used in municipal or industrial composting facilities is only mim- icking and speeding up what nature is doing every day. The difference is that the degradative rates in composting are higher because of the higher temperatures. The composting industry has expanded significantly in recent years and this trend seems set to continue in different regions in the world, e.g. in Europe, America and in Asian countries like China. Environmental awareness has led to a growing interest in developing an environ- mentally friendly manner of disposal of municipal and industrial wastes. It is known that plastics waste contribute to a large volume of municipal waste. In general, waste management strategy puts a growing emphasis on the three Rs: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. Composting, recognized as organic recycling, provides a means of accomplishing these objectives. It is noteworthy that composting as a technology is adaptable and suitable for treating wastes in a variety of socioeconomic and geographical locations. The aim of the book is to describe in a coherent manner the special class of polymers espe- cially designed to be disposed of after their useful life in composting facilities. Compostable plastics are polymers that undergo degradation by biological processes during composting to yield CO2, water, inorganic compounds and biomass at a rate consistent with known composta- ble materials (e.g. cellulose). The book is concerned with the hot topic of dealing with a family of polymers that are designed to be degraded in industrial and municipal compost facilities. Recently, compostable packaging materials were introduced into the market to reduce the amounts of conventional packaging materials and at the same time be recovered by the munici- pal organic waste collection system. An example of commercial implementation of composta- ble polymers includes Cargill Dow Nature Works polylactic acid (PLA), which is produced at a rate of 140 000 tonnes/year at Blair, Nebraska (USA), via carbohydrate fermentation. Other vii viii Preface global companies are also producing compostable polymer materials. NEC is using a PLA composite with kenaf fibres for laptop computer cases. Polyhydroxyalkanoates produced by microbial “biofactories” are suitable for films, fibres, adhesives, coatings, moulded goods and a variety of other applications. The largest and most successful effort to date to recycle organic waste and use composta- ble cutlery and food serviceware was at the 2000 Olympic Games held in Sydney (Australia) where the collection and composting of the wastes generated by the nine million visitors to the Games resulted in the recovery of 76% of the solid wastes generated. I hope that this book may be useful in developing ideas about composting and provides information for researchers and students interested in materials science as well as ecologi- cal issues. The book covers the entire spectrum of preparation, properties, degradation, and environmental issues of this kind of polymer. Emphasis is given to the recent studies concern- ing compostability and ecotoxicological assessment of polymer materials – important issues from an ecological point of view. Moreover, thermal behaviour of compostable polymers is described. Future perspectives, including price evolution during last decade and market esti- mation, are presented. Chapter 1 introduces the problem, explaining the role of compostable polymer materials in a sustainable development and the reasons for the growing interest. Chapter 2 gives an overview of compostable polymer materials starting with definitions, and explaining differences in comparison with biodegradable polymers. It discusses origin (syn- thetic and natural), structures and methods of preparation of compostable polymers. The pro- ducers of compostable polymer materials and their websites are given. Chapter 3 summarizes the main properties of compostable polymers, i.e. physico-chemical, mechanical, and thermal properties. It also contains data about their processing and current applications. Chapter 4 describes the behaviour of compostable polymer materials during degradation in different environments (inert and oxidative
Recommended publications
  • A Comparative Review of Natural and Synthetic Biopolymer Composite Scaffolds
    polymers Review A Comparative Review of Natural and Synthetic Biopolymer Composite Scaffolds M. Sai Bhargava Reddy 1 , Deepalekshmi Ponnamma 2 , Rajan Choudhary 3,4,5 and Kishor Kumar Sadasivuni 2,* 1 Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Institute of Science and Technology, Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad 500085, India; [email protected] 2 Center for Advanced Materials, Qatar University, Doha P.O. Box 2713, Qatar; [email protected] 3 Rudolfs Cimdins Riga Biomaterials Innovations and Development Centre of RTU, Faculty of Materials Science and Applied Chemistry, Institute of General Chemical Engineering, Riga Technical University, Pulka St 3, LV-1007 Riga, Latvia; [email protected] 4 Baltic Biomaterials Centre of Excellence, Headquarters at Riga Technical University, LV-1007 Riga, Latvia 5 Center for Composite Materials, National University of Science and Technology “MISiS”, 119049 Moscow, Russia * Correspondence: [email protected] Abstract: Tissue engineering (TE) and regenerative medicine integrate information and technology from various fields to restore/replace tissues and damaged organs for medical treatments. To achieve this, scaffolds act as delivery vectors or as cellular systems for drugs and cells; thereby, cellular material is able to colonize host cells sufficiently to meet up the requirements of regeneration and repair. This process is multi-stage and requires the development of various components to create the desired neo-tissue or organ. In several current TE strategies, biomaterials are essential compo- nents. While several polymers are established for their use as biomaterials, careful consideration of the cellular environment and interactions needed is required in selecting a polymer for a given Citation: Reddy, M.S.B.; Ponnamma, application.
    [Show full text]
  • Biodegradation of Polymers
    Indian Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 4, April 2005, pp 186-193 Biodegradation of polymers Premraj R1 and Mukesh Doble2* 1Centre for Biotechnology, Anna University, Chennai 600 025, India 2Departmemt of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai 600 036, India Received 9 January 2004; revised 14 May 2004; accepted 25 May 2004 Exhaustive studies on the degradation of plastics have been carried out in order to overcome the environmental problems associated with synthetic plastic waste. Recent work has included studies of the distribution of synthetic polymer-degrading microorganisms in the environment, the isolation of new microorganisms for biodegradation, the discovery of new degra- dation enzymes, and the cloning of genes for synthetic polymer-degrading enzymes. Under ambient conditions, polymers are known to undergo degradation, which results in the deterioration of polymer properties, characterized by change in its molecular weight and other physical properties. In this paper mainly the biodegradation of synthetic polymers such as polyethers, polyesters, polycaprolactones, polylactides, polylactic acid, polyurethane, PVA, nylon, polycarbonate, polyimide, polyacrylamide, polyamide, PTFE and ABS have been reviewed. Pseudomonas species degrade polyethers, polyesters, PVA, polyimides and PUR effectively. No microorganism has been found to degrade polyethylene without additives such as starch. None of the biodegradable techniques has become mature enough to become a technology yet. Keywords: biodegradation, polymer, biodegradable polymers IPC Code: Int. Cl.7 A01N63/04; C08C; C08F10/02, 12/08, 18/08, 114/26, 120/56; C08G18/00, 63/00, 64/00, 65/00, 69/00, 69/14, 73/10 Introduction Some types of plastics have been shown to be Approximately 140 million tonnes of synthetic biodegradable, and their degradation mechanisms polymers are produced worldwide every year.
    [Show full text]
  • Polymer Biodegradation and Biodegradable Polymers – a Review
    Polish J. of Environ. Stud. Vol. 19, No. 2 (2010), 255-266 Review Polymer Biodegradation and Biodegradable Polymers – a Review Katarzyna Leja*, Grażyna Lewandowicz Department of Biotechnology and Food Microbiology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 48, 60-627 Poznań, Poland Received: 3 June 2009 Accepted: 2 November 2009 Abstract Synthetic polymers are important in many branches of industry, for example in the packaging industry. However, they have an undesirable influence on the environment and cause problems with waste deposition and utilization. Thus, there is a tendency to substitute such polymers with polymers that undergo biodegrad- able processes. Increasing interest in applying polymers based on natural materials such as starch has been observed. This review describes biodegradation processes of xenobiotics such as aromatic compounds, plastics (PVA, polyesters, polyethylene, and nylon), and polymer blends (Starch/Polyethylene, Starch/Polyester, and Starch/PVA). Moreover, this review includes information about biodegradable polymers such as mixtures of synthetic polymers and substances that are easy digestible by microorganisms (chemically modified starch, starch-polymer composites, thermoplastic starch, and biodegradable packing materials), synthetic materials with groups susceptible to hydrolytic microbial attack (polycaprolactone), and biopolyesters (poly-β-hydrox- yalkanoates). Production of this kind of material and introducing it to the market is important for the natural environmental. It may result in decreasing the volume of waste dumps. Keywords: biodegradation, biodegradable polymers, xenobiotics Introduction pollution of groundwater and surface water. Synthetic poly- mers are recognized as major solid waste environmental Developments in science and technology, especially pollutants. Another problem is disposal of agricultural plas- over the last two decades, have increased the amount of tic wastes.
    [Show full text]
  • Environmental Biodegradability of Recombinant Structural Protein
    www.nature.com/scientificreports OPEN Environmental biodegradability of recombinant structural protein Yuya Tachibana1,2*, Sunita Darbe3, Senri Hayashi1, Alina Kudasheva3, Haruna Misawa1, Yuka Shibata1 & Ken‑ichi Kasuya1,2* Next generation polymers needs to be produced from renewable sources and to be converted into inorganic compounds in the natural environment at the end of life. Recombinant structural protein is a promising alternative to conventional engineering plastics due to its good thermal and mechanical properties, its production from biomass, and its potential for biodegradability. Herein, we measured the thermal and mechanical properties of the recombinant structural protein BP1 and evaluated its biodegradability. Because the thermal degradation occurs above 250 °C and the glass transition temperature is 185 °C, BP1 can be molded into sheets by a manual hot press at 150 °C and 83 MPa. The fexural strength and modulus of BP1 were 115 ± 6 MPa and 7.38 ± 0.03 GPa. These properties are superior to those of commercially available biodegradable polymers. The biodegradability of BP1 was carefully evaluated. BP1 was shown to be efciently hydrolyzed by some isolated bacterial strains in a dispersed state. Furthermore, it was readily hydrolyzed from the solid state by three isolated proteases. The mineralization was evaluated by the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD)‑ biodegradation testing with soil inocula. The BOD biodegradability of BP1 was 70.2 ± 6.0 after 33 days. Many commercially available polymers have some associated environmental problems1,2. Te increase in the production and subsequent disposal of synthetic polymers causes serious environmental pollution because these polymers do not degrade in the natural environment.
    [Show full text]
  • Biodegradable Polymers
    Chapter 6 Biodegradable Polymers Babak Ghanbarzadeh and Hadi Almasi Additional information is available at the end of the chapter http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/56230 1. Introduction In developing countries, environmental pollution by synthetic polymers has assumed dangerous proportions. Petroleum-derived plastics are not readily biodegradable and because of their resistance to microbial degradation, they accumulate in the environment. In addition in recent times oil prices have increased markedly. These facts have helped to stimulate interest in biodegradable polymers. Biodegradable plastics and polymers were first introduced in 1980s. Polymers from renewable resources have attracted an increasing amount of attention over the last two decades, predominantly due to two major reasons: firstly environmental concerns, and secondly the realization that our petroleum resources are finite. There are many sources of biodegradable plastics, from synthetic to natural polymers. Natural polymers are available in large quantities from renewable sources, while synthetic polymers are produced from non-renewable petroleum resources. Biodegradation of polymeric biomaterials involves cleavage of hydrolytically or enzymatically sensitive bonds in the polymer leading to polymer erosion. A vast number of biodegradable polymers have been synthesized recently and some microorganisms and enzymes capable of degrading them have been identified. The objective of this chapter is to classification of biodegradable polymers. The chemical structure, sources, production and synthesis methods, physical properties (mechanical, barrier and thermal properties) and applications of most important biodegradable polymers would be discussed. 2. Classification and properties of biodegradable polymers The biodegradable polymers can be classified according to their chemical composition, origin and synthesis method, processing method, economic importance, application, etc.
    [Show full text]
  • Functionalized Synthetic Biodegradable Polymer Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering
    Review Functionalized Synthetic Biodegradable Polymer Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering Xiaohua Liu, Jeremy M. Holzwarth, Peter X. Ma* Scaffolds (artificial ECMs) play a pivotal role in the process of regenerating tissues in 3D. Biodegradable synthetic polymers are the most widely used scaffolding materials. However, synthetic polymers usually lack the biological cues found in the natural extracellular matrix. Significant efforts have been made to synthesize biode- gradable polymers with functional groups that are used to couple bioactive agents. Presenting bioactive agents on scaffolding surfaces is the most efficient way to elicit desired cell/material interactions. This paper reviews recent advancements in the development of functionalized biodegradable polymer scaffolds for tissue engineering, emphasizing the syntheses of functional biodegradable polymers, and surface modification of polymeric scaffolds. 1. Introduction scaffold serves as a template for tissue regeneration and plays a pivotal role in cell adhesion, proliferation, As a multi-disciplinary field, tissue engineering integrates differentiation, and new tissue formation in three dimen- materials science with regenerative medicine by applying sions (3D). Ideally, a scaffold should be designed to possess the principles of engineering and biology to clinical the following characteristics: (i) a biocompatible and issues.[1] A typical tissue engineering strategy can be biodegradable substrate with controllable degradation separated into three components: a scaffold [an artificial rates;
    [Show full text]
  • Biodegradable Polymer Nanocomposites Applied to Technical Textiles: a Review
    DYNA ISSN: 0012-7353 ISSN: 2346-2183 Universidad Nacional de Colombia Biodegradable polymer nanocomposites applied to technical textiles: a review Caicedo, Carolina; Melo-López, Leticia; Cabello-Alvarado, Christian; Cruz-Delgado, Víctor J.; Ávila-Orta, Carlos A. Biodegradable polymer nanocomposites applied to technical textiles: a review DYNA, vol. 86, no. 211, 2019 Universidad Nacional de Colombia Available in: http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=49663345033 DOI: 10.15446/dyna.v86n211.80230 PDF generated from XML JATS4R by Redalyc Project academic non-profit, developed under the open access initiative Artículos Biodegradable polymer nanocomposites applied to technical textiles: a review Nanocompuestos poliméricos biodegradables aplicados a textiles técnicos: una revisión Carolina Caicedo a [email protected] Universidad Santiago de Cali, Colombia Leticia Melo-López b [email protected] CONACYT-Centro de Investigación en Química Aplicada, Mexico Christian Cabello-Alvarado b [email protected] CONACYT-Centro de Investigación en Química Aplicada, Mexico Víctor J. Cruz-Delgado c [email protected] CONACYT-Unidad de Materiales, Mexico Carlos A. Ávila-Orta b [email protected] CONACYT-Centro de Investigación en Química Aplicada, Mexico DYNA, vol. 86, no. 211, 2019 Universidad Nacional de Colombia Received: 08 June 2019 Revised document received: 24 October Abstract: Based on the results of research papers reflected in the scientific literature, 2019 the main examples, methods and perspectives for the development of technical textiles Accepted: 15 November 2019 are considered. e focus of this work is to concentrate the results obtained for different DOI: 10.15446/dyna.v86n211.80230 textile applications (technical textiles) through the use of biodegradable polymers modified and improved with nanoparticles.
    [Show full text]
  • Modern Biodegradable Plastics—Processing and Properties Part II
    materials Article Modern Biodegradable Plastics—Processing and Properties Part II Janusz W. Sikora 1,*, Łukasz Majewski 1 and Andrzej Puszka 2 1 Department of Technology and Polymer Processing, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Lublin University of Technology, Nadbystrzycka 36, 20-618 Lublin, Poland; [email protected] 2 Department of Polymer Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Institute of Chemical Sciences, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin, ul. Gliniana 33, 20-614 Lublin, Poland; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +48-8153-84-222 Abstract: Four different plastics were tested: potato starch based plastic (TPS-P)–BIOPLAST GF 106/02; corn starch based plastic (TPS-C)–BioComp BF 01HP; polylactic acid (polylactide) plastic (PLA)—BioComp BF 7210 and low density polyethylene, trade name Malen E FABS 23-D022; as a petrochemical reference sample. Using the blown film extrusion method and various screw rotational speeds, films were obtained and tested, as a result of which the following were determined: breaking stress, strain at break, static and dynamic friction coefficient of film in longitudinal and transverse direction, puncture resistance and strain at break, color, brightness and gloss of film, surface roughness, barrier properties and microstructure. The biodegradable plastics tested are characterized by comparable or even better mechanical strength than petrochemical polyethylene for the range of film blowing processing parameters used here. The effect of the screw rotational speed on the mechanical characteristics of the films obtained was also demonstrated. With the increase in the screw rotational speed, the decrease of barrier properties was also observed. No correlation between roughness and permeability of gases and water vapor was shown.
    [Show full text]
  • Table of Contents
    Table of Contents PAGE POC 2012 Organizing, Scientific 6 and International Advisory Committees Message from the Conference Chair 7 Message from our Premier Sponsor 9 Welcome to Qatar 11 Discover Qatar! 12 Our Proud Sponsors 14 Our Keynote Lecturer: Dr. Robert H Grubbs 19 POC 2012 Session Chairs 20 Schedule of Events 24 Oral Presentation 32 Poster Presentations 114 Index 197 POLYOLEFINS (32-41) Olefin polymerization with metallocene and “post metallocene” derivatives of zirconium. J. Bercaw Single site catalysis for olefin polymerisation, polyolefin depolymerisation and related reactions. J. Basset Approaching olefin polymerization from first principle. T. Ziegler Stereoselective (co)polymerizations of styrene with single-site mono-component and binary lanthanidocene catalysts. J. Carpentier Influence of combination of fillers and fibers on the morphological, thermal and mechanical properties of recycled polymers. M. Al-Maadeed New polymers by metallocene catalysed ofefin polymerization. W. Kaminsky The activation of soluble olefin polymerization catalysts. M. Bochmann Comprehensive approach from active sites to particle for the next generation Ziegler-Natta catalysts. M. Terano Single site catalyst molecular design and multicomponenet catalyst engineering for production of non-commodity polyolefins; case study. A. Razavi ORTHOGONAL CHEMISTRY: ORGANIC AND POLYMER SYNTHESIS (43-52) Efficient and catalyst free polymer functionalization and coupling. R. K. O’Reilly Functionalized polymers for functional materials. R. B. Grubbs Synthesis of new functionalized polythiophenes for organic biosensors. C. Suspène Metal-catalyzed multicomponent polymerization – a new method for the construction of conjugated materials. D. C. Leitch Phase transfer activation of Grubbs’ ROMP catalyst systems. R. Tuba Macromolecular material design via modular synthetic strategies. C. Barner -Kowollik Starch-derived 1,4-3,6:dianhydrohexitol stereoisomers: Versatile platform for the design of original polymers using robust, efficient and orthogonal chemistries.
    [Show full text]
  • Effect of Homochirality of Dipeptide to Polymers' Degradation
    polymers Article Effect of Homochirality of Dipeptide to Polymers’ Degradation Xinqiang Xu 1,2, Fuyan He 1,2, Wenke Yang 1,2 and Jinshui Yao 1,2,* 1 School of Materials Science & Engineering, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan 250353, China; [email protected] (X.X.); [email protected] (F.H.); [email protected] (W.Y.) 2 Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Processing & Testing Technology of Glass and Functional Ceramics, Jinan 250353, China * Correspondence: [email protected] Received: 31 August 2020; Accepted: 18 September 2020; Published: 22 September 2020 Abstract: As natural polymer materials, proteins are readily biodegradable, interestingly, the synthetic polyamides (PAs) that are based on the same amide bonds (also called peptide bonds in proteins) are barely degradable. Whether did the chirality and configuration of the amino acids play an important role. By using different configuration of amino acids, 4 types of polyamide-imides (PAIs) containing dipeptides of LL, DL, LD, and DD configurations, respectively, were synthesized. It was found that the PAIs based on natural LL configuration of dipeptide structure are much more readily biodegradable than those based on non-natural LD, DL, and DD configuration of dipeptides. It was confirmed that the natural L-configuration of amino acids play a critical role in degradability of proteins. And it also suggested that different type and amount of peptide fragments can be introduced in polymer to create series of polymer materials that can be biodegraded at controllable speed. Keywords: chiral amino acids; dipeptide; polyamide-imides; biodegradability 1. Introduction With the growing problem of white pollution, degradable polymer materials are attracting more and more attention because polymer materials that can be degraded at controllable speed could be used in every kind of fields [1–6].
    [Show full text]
  • Degradable Materials with Biological Recognition
    Lecture 3: Degradable Materials with Biological Recognition Last time: Theory of hydrolytic polymer erosion Enzymatic degradation of polymers Designing Biodegradable Macromolecules Today: Biological recognition in vivo Engineering biological recognition of biomaterials: cell adhesion/migration Reading: S.E. Sakiyama-Elbert and J.A. Hubbell, ‘Functional Biomaterials: Design of Novel biomaterials,’ Annu. Rev. Mater. Sci. 31, 183-201 (2001) J.C. Schense et al., ‘Enzymatic incorporation of bioactive peptides into fibrin matrices enhances neurite extension,’ Nat. Biotech. 18, 415-419 (2000) Supplementary Reading: ‘The Extracellular Matrix,’ pp. 1124-1150, Molecular Biology of the Cell, Lodish et al. Biological Recognition in vivo Interactions of cells with their environment at the molecular level ECM = extracellular matrix Motivation: • Cell interactions with simple synthetic materials are governed by nonspecific interactions: o e.g. surface energies; hydrophobic interactions, charge-charge interactions o DRAW OXIDE SURFACE, POLYMER SURFACE • …but this is not how cells interact with ECM • Cells use receptor-receptor/receptor-ligand interactions to guide their functions, including: o Adhesion, migration o Growth o Differentiation Secretion of molecules Binding of molecules Specialized functions Functions of ECM: • Mechanical Support • cues for cell survival/function o anchorage-dependent cell growth o differentiation cues • organization of tissue o control of tissue morphology, localization of cell types Lecture 3 – Biological Recognition 1
    [Show full text]
  • Biodegradable Functional Polymers Composed of Naturally Occurring Amino Acids
    Biodegradable Functional Polymers Composed of Naturally Occurring Amino Acids Zavradashvili N1, Jokhadze G2, Gverdtsiteli M1, Tugushi D1, and Katsarava R1,2* 1Institute of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Agricultural University of Georgia, Georgia 2Research Centre for Medical Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Georgian Technical University, Georgia *Corresponding author: Katsarava R, Institute of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Agricultural University of Georgia, Kakha Bendukidze University Campus, 240 David Aghmashenebeli Alley, Tbilisi 0159, Georgia, Tel: (+995 32)2200901; E-mail: [email protected] Received: March 31, 2017; Accepted: April 10, 2017; Published: April 17, 2017 Abstract Recent trends in biodegradable polymers indicate significant developments in terms of novel design strategies and engineering to provide advanced polymers with comparably good performance. Various classes of amino acid based biodegradable (AABB) polymers with a wide range of material properties, and suitable for numerous biomedical applications, were designed on the basis. However, the scope of the application of AABB polymers could substantially be expanded by designing their functionalized analogues. This can be achieved (i) by combination of DADEs with functionalized DADEs or with other types of functional co- monomers, or (ii) by synthesizing various active pre-polymers with subsequent functionalization by means of polymer-analogous reactions. In the present review we are discussing AABB polymers including: (i) co-poly(ester amide)s
    [Show full text]