Park Sung Bae, Kwak Hojung, Lee Dohoon, Shin Giyoung, Jang Min, Jung Hyuni, Jeon Hyeonyeol, Kim Hyo Jeong, Park Jeyoung, Oh Dongyeop X
Research Center for Bio-based Chemistry, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), Ulsan, 44429, Republic of Korea.
Advanced Materials and Chemical Engineering, University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejeon, 34113, Republic of Korea.
Adv Mater. 2025 Mar;37(9):e2417266. doi: 10.1002/adma.202417266. Epub 2024 Dec 17.
Biodegradable polyesters provide an attractive alternative to non-degradable plastics but often encounter a tradeoff between biodegradability and mechanical properties because esters are rotational and lack hydrogen bonds. Conversely, natural polyamides, i.e., silk exhibit excellent mechanical strength because amides are non-rotational and form hydrogen bonds. Unlike esters, the nitrogen in amides can enhance microbial biodegradation. However, protein engineering exhibits limited productivity, and artificial polyamides, i.e., nylon remain non-degradable due to their hydrophobic nature. Herein, a method is proposed for developing poly(ester amide)s (PEA)s, a polyester and polyamide hybrid, to address prevailing production challenges. These materials are synthesized from upcycled monomers in a 10 L reactor and converted into films and yarns. They achieve a tensile strength of 109 MPa and tenacity of 5.0 g de, while withstanding ironing temperatures. They achieve a remarkable 92% marine biodegradability in 12 months, which is rarely attained by current bioplastics, and exhibit low environmental impact in terms of greenhouse gas emissions. While biodegradable polyesters have remained within the performance range of commodity plastics, PEAs fall into the high-performance category, potentially reaching markets that existing biodegradable plastics have not, such as fishing lines and clothing.
可生物降解聚酯为不可降解塑料提供了一种有吸引力的替代方案，但由于酯键可旋转且缺乏氢键，它们在生物降解性和机械性能之间往往需要权衡。相反，天然聚酰胺，即丝绸，具有出色的机械强度，因为酰胺键不可旋转且能形成氢键。与酯不同，酰胺中的氮可以增强微生物的生物降解作用。然而，蛋白质工程的生产效率有限，而人工聚酰胺，即尼龙，由于其疏水性仍然不可降解。在此，我们提出了一种开发聚（酯 - 酰胺）（PEA）的方法，它是聚酯和聚酰胺的杂化材料，以应对当前的生产挑战。这些材料由升级回收的单体在10升反应器中合成，并制成薄膜和纱线。它们的拉伸强度达到109兆帕，韧性为5.0克/旦，同时能承受熨烫温度。它们在12个月内实现了高达92%的海洋生物降解率，这是目前的生物塑料很少能达到的，并且在温室气体排放方面对环境的影响较低。虽然可生物降解聚酯仍处于商品塑料的性能范围内，但聚（酯 - 酰胺）属于高性能类别，有可能进入现有可生物降解塑料尚未涉足的市场，如钓鱼线和服装市场。
