The Closure of the Cycle: Enzymatic Synthesis and Functionalization of Bio-Based Polyesters

The polymer industry is under pressure to mitigate the environmental cost of petrol-based plastics. Biotechnologies contribute to the gradual replacement of petrol-based chemistry and the development of new renewable products, leading to the closure of carbon circle. An array of bio-based building b...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inTrends in biotechnology (Regular ed.) Vol. 34; no. 4; pp. 316 - 328
Main Authors Pellis, Alessandro, Herrero Acero, Enrique, Ferrario, Valerio, Ribitsch, Doris, Guebitz, Georg M, Gardossi, Lucia
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published England Elsevier Ltd 01.04.2016
Elsevier Limited
Subjects
Acids
bio-based
biocatalyzed polycondensation
Biocompatible Materials - chemistry
biodegradable
Biodegradation, Environmental
Bioplastics
Biopolymers - chemistry
Biopolymers - metabolism
Biotechnology
Biotechnology - methods
Capital costs
Carbon
Chemical industry
Chemistry
circular economy
Emissions
Fermentation
functionalized polyesters
Hydrogenation
Internal Medicine
Metabolism
Oxidation
Plastics
Polyesters
Polyesters - chemistry
Polyesters - metabolism
Polylactic acid
Polymers
Production capacity
ring-opening polymerization
Technological change
bio-based
biodegradable
circular economy
functionalized polyesters
polyesters
ring-opening polymerization
biocatalyzed polycondensation
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Summary:The polymer industry is under pressure to mitigate the environmental cost of petrol-based plastics. Biotechnologies contribute to the gradual replacement of petrol-based chemistry and the development of new renewable products, leading to the closure of carbon circle. An array of bio-based building blocks is already available on an industrial scale and is boosting the development of new generations of sustainable and functionally competitive polymers, such as polylactic acid (PLA). Biocatalysts add higher value to bio-based polymers by catalyzing not only their selective modification, but also their synthesis under mild and controlled conditions. The ultimate aim is the introduction of chemical functionalities on the surface of the polymer while retaining its bulk properties, thus enlarging the spectrum of advanced applications.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-2
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
ObjectType-Feature-3
content type line 23
ObjectType-Review-1
ISSN:0167-7799
1879-3096
DOI:10.1016/j.tibtech.2015.12.009