Phys.org September 5, 2024 Researchers in Israel fabricated a biodegradable composite material based on hydroxyethyl cellulose polymer and tyrosine nanocrystals, which demonstrated enhanced strength and ductility superior to most biodegradable plastics. This emergent behavior resulted from an assembly pattern that led to a uniform nanoscale morphology and strong interactions between the components. Water-resistant biodegradable composites encapsulated with hydrophobic polycaprolactone as a protection layer were also fabricated. According to the researchers self-assembly of robust sustainable plastics with emergent properties by using readily available building blocks provides a valuable toolbox for creating sustainable materials… read more. Open Access TECHNICAL ARTICLE
Tag Archives: Plastic pollution
Study identifies fungus that breaks down ocean plastic
Phys.org June 3, 2024 Plastic may serve as a potential carbon and energy source for microbes, yet the contribution of marine microbes, especially marine fungi to plastic degradation is not well constrained. An international team of researchers (the Netherlands, France, Denmark, Switzerland) isolated the fungus Parengyodontium album from floating plastic debris and measured fungal-mediated mineralization rates (conversion to CO2) of polyethylene (PE). When the PE was pretreated with UV light, the biodegradation rate of the initially added PE was 0.044 %/day. They traced the incorporation of PE-derived 13C carbon into P. album biomass. Despite the high mineralization rate incorporation of […]