Zamora-Mendoza Lizbeth, Caicho Jhonny, Mora José R, Negrete-Bolagay Daniela, Guerrero Victor H, Mogollón Noroska G S, Ochoa-Ocampo Melanie, Pastuña-Fasso Jefferson, Álvarez Barreto José F, Ponce Sebastián, Paredes Juan, Erazo Henry, Pontón Patricia I, León Marco, Alexis Frank
Departamento de Ingeniería Química, Colegio de Ciencias e Ingenierías, Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ), Quito 170901, Ecuador.
Departamento de Materiales, Escuela Politécnica Nacional (EPN), Quito 170143, Ecuador.
Molecules. 2025 Jun 26;30(13):2752. doi: 10.3390/molecules30132752.
The increasing demand for sustainable and environmentally friendly materials has prompted intensive research into developing bioplastics as viable alternatives to conventional petroleum-derived plastics. Here, we report a novel approach to bioplastic production by employing plant extract-based solvents to partially dissolve cellulose, a fundamental biopolymer precursor. Using plant-derived solvents addresses concerns surrounding the environmental impact of traditional solvent-based processes, as per the principles of green chemistry. Using computational screening, some natural products were identified from the integrated database resource MEGx. Six natural sources were selected based on their molecular weight, high pKa, and chemical classification. Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and column chromatography confirmed the presence of molecules in the extracts. Bioplastics were prepared with 1, 3, 6, 10, and 15 wt.% plant extract concentrations. Control samples without conventional dissolved and positive controls were also studied to compare their properties with novel bioplastics. Chemical characterization and biodegradability tests were performed. Degradation in water and soil tests for 35 days showed that the biodegradability of the bioplastics with natural extracts at higher concentrations was faster than that of the control samples. By day 35, bioplastics containing 15 wt.% of the D1 W extract showed rapid degradation, with higher weight loss compared with the conventional controls. The positive control (C4), containing NaOH and glycerol, degraded more slowly than the plant extract-based formulations. Also, the test indicated that the natural dissolvent's influence on the water uptake of the material produced a better performance than the control samples. The surfaces of the bioplastic formulations were analyzed using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) at different magnifications. The findings presented here hold promise for advancing the field of bioplastics and contributing to the sustainable utilization of plant resources for eco-friendly material production.
对可持续且环保材料的需求不断增加，促使人们深入研究开发生物塑料，以作为传统石油基塑料的可行替代品。在此，我们报告一种生物塑料生产的新方法，即采用基于植物提取物的溶剂来部分溶解纤维素，纤维素是一种基本的生物聚合物前体。根据绿色化学原理，使用植物衍生溶剂解决了围绕传统溶剂法对环境影响的担忧。通过计算筛选，从综合数据库资源MEGx中鉴定出一些天然产物。根据分子量、高pKa和化学分类选择了六种天然来源。薄层色谱（TLC）和柱色谱证实了提取物中分子的存在。用1、3、6、10和15 wt.%的植物提取物浓度制备生物塑料。还研究了没有传统溶解物的对照样品和阳性对照，以将它们的性能与新型生物塑料进行比较。进行了化学表征和生物降解性测试。在水和土壤中进行35天的降解测试表明，高浓度天然提取物生物塑料的生物降解性比对照样品更快。到第35天，含有15 wt.% D1 W提取物的生物塑料显示出快速降解，与传统对照相比重量损失更高。含有氢氧化钠和甘油的阳性对照（C4）的降解速度比基于植物提取物的配方更慢。此外，测试表明天然溶剂对材料吸水率的影响产生了比对照样品更好的性能。使用扫描电子显微镜（SEM）在不同放大倍数下分析了生物塑料配方的表面。此处呈现的研究结果有望推动生物塑料领域的发展，并有助于可持续利用植物资源生产环保材料。
