Revolutionizing Sustainable Fashion: Jute–Mycelium Vegan Leather Reinforced with Polyhydroxyalkanoate Biopolymer Crosslinking from Novel Bacteria

Abstract

Vegan leather derived from mushroom mycelium is a revolutionary technology that addresses the issues raised by bovine and synthetic leather. Jute–mycelium-based vegan leather was constructed using hessian jute fabric, natural rubber solution, and extracted polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) biopolymer from Bacillus subtilis strain FPP-K isolated from fermented herbal black tea liquor waste. The bacterial strain was confirmed using 16S rRNA genomic sequencing. The structural characteristics of sustainable mycelium vegan leather were identified using FTIR, SEM, and TGA methods. To address the functional features of the developed vegan leather, solubility, swelling degree, WVP, WCA, and mechanical strength were also evaluated. Mycelium networking was further validated by micromorphological examination (SEM) of the leather sample’s cross-sectional area. Jute–mycelium leather demonstrated a tensile strength of 8.62 MPa and a % elongation of 8.34, which were significantly greater than the control sample. Vegan leather displayed a strong peak in the O ═ H group of carbohydrates in the examination of chemical bonds. A high-frequency infrared wavelength of 1,462 cm⁻¹ revealed the amide group of protein due to the presence of mycelium, while the absorption peak at 1,703 cm⁻¹ in leather indicated the crosslinking of PHA. Moreover, the TGA study finalized the thermal stability of leather. The enhanced hydrophobicity and reduced swelling degree and solubility also endorsed the water resistance properties of the leather. The results of the investigation substantiated the potential properties of mycelium vegan leather as animal- and environment-free leather.