Researchers have advanced their knowledge in developing plant biomass-derived polymers that can be used as plastic alternatives, potentially reducing plastic waste and promoting a circular economy.
A study published in Nature shared that phenylpropanoids, which are aromatic compounds derived from plants, offer structurally diverse and abundant renewable sources for use in producing biodegradable polymers.
"Bifunctional monomers with silyl ether-linked phenylpropanoids were synthesized, and their polymerizations were investigated using chemical and electro- and photochemical methods," the researchers explained.
The results offered a material with enhanced thermal properties that could also be decomposed through chemical reactions, resulting in bisphenols that are ideal for recycling and upcycling to produce value-added products, the study detailed.
These phenylpropanoids can be extracted from plants, such as anise, ylang-ylang, and clove, as essential oils, which are already driving billion-dollar industries.
According to the study, they are widely used in spices, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical derivatives, making the essential oil market worth over $12 billion in 2024.
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One of the primary drivers for creating resilient plastics that don't rely on raw petroleum products is to reduce dependence on those polluting materials and instead, develop more sustainable alternatives that are better for the environment.
Every year, the world produces over 462 million tons of plastic, and up to 14 million tons of that is believed to end up in our oceans each year.
So far, recycling efforts haven't lived up to the hype, with only about 9% of plastic items getting recycled. An estimated 12% of plastics get incinerated, but the majority is either placed in landfills or released into the environment, where it poses a threat to human and marine life.
There have been new discoveries that help improve recycling efforts, such as the use of violet light in breaking down plastic polymers into their basic components.
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Definitely 👍 Research similar to these essential oil-derived decomposable polymers has explored using bioplastic-producing enzymes to help turn biomaterial into biodegradable plastic. However, fragility was an issue.
To help strengthen these decomposable polymers with high phenylpropanoid contents, the researchers used cycloaddition polymerization, which is one of the strongest bond-forming reactions in organic synthesis.
Although it noted that "Further increase in molecular weight would be required for practical use," the research group is continuing its work, hoping that "Future research can build on these results to explore further applications and the optimization of these materials."
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