Qiu Yijin, Zhang Dachuan, Long Min, Zhou Zhixuan, Gao Changdan, Ma Shuai, Qin Jinfa, Chen Kaijuan, Chen Chaoji, Zhao Ze, Deng Hongbing
Hubei Key Laboratory of Biomass Resource Chemistry and Environmental Biotechnology, Hubei International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Sustainable Resource and Energy, Hubei Engineering Center of Natural Polymers-based Medical Materials, School of Resource and Environmental Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China.
Institute of Environmental Engineering, ETH Zürich, Laura-Hezner-Weg 7, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland.
Sci Adv. 2025 Apr 4;11(14):eadr1596. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adr1596. Epub 2025 Apr 2.
Unlike conventional methods that typically involve extracting biopolymers/monomers from biomass using lots of hazardous chemicals and high energy, the direct utilization of biological matter (biomatter) without extraction offers a more sustainable alternative for bioplastic production. However, it often suffers from insufficient mechanical performances or limited processabilities. Herein, we proposed a hybrid microscale biomatter coassembly strategy that leverages the interactions between the inherent microarchitectures of waste cotton fiber and pollen particles. With minimal preprocessing, they form a castable slurry that can spontaneously organize into a dense fiber-laminate bioplastic network, exhibiting high mechanical properties (52.22 megapascals and 2.24 gigapascals) without using toxic organic chemicals or heavy machinery. The resulting bioplastic features controlled hydration-induced microstructural disassembly/reassembly, enabling water-based processability into complex, dynamic architectural systems. In addition, it demonstrates good biodegradability, closed-loop recyclability, and satisfactory environmental benefits, outperforming most common plastics. This study provides an instant nature-derived paradigm for bioplastics' sustainable production, processing, and recycling, offering a promising solution for facilitating eco-friendly advanced applications.
与传统方法不同，传统方法通常需要使用大量有害化学物质和高能量从生物质中提取生物聚合物/单体，而直接利用生物质而不进行提取为生物塑料生产提供了一种更具可持续性的替代方案。然而，它往往存在机械性能不足或加工性能有限的问题。在此，我们提出了一种混合微观尺度生物质共组装策略，该策略利用废棉纤维和花粉颗粒的固有微观结构之间的相互作用。经过最少的预处理，它们形成一种可浇铸的浆料，能够自发组织成致密的纤维层压生物塑料网络，在不使用有毒有机化学品或重型机械的情况下展现出高机械性能（52.22兆帕斯卡和2.24吉帕斯卡）。所得生物塑料具有可控的水合诱导微观结构解体/重组特性，能够通过水基加工制成复杂的动态建筑系统。此外，它还具有良好的生物降解性、闭环可回收性以及令人满意的环境效益，优于大多数常见塑料。本研究为生物塑料的可持续生产、加工和回收提供了一种即时的天然来源范例，为促进环保先进应用提供了一个有前景的解决方案。
