Polymer Degradation and Stability最新文献

{"title":"Controlled Hydrolysis-Repolymerization: an efficient route to recycled Polyamide 6 with low extractables and suppressed discoloration","authors":"Chengzhen Meng ,&nbsp;Weicheng Yang ,&nbsp;Yuhao Wu ,&nbsp;Rongkai Wang ,&nbsp;Shengming Zhang ,&nbsp;Peng Ji ,&nbsp;Chaosheng Wang ,&nbsp;Huaping Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2025.111644","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2025.111644","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Hydrolytic recycling is the most important industrialized recycling method for polyamide 6 (PA6). The conventional routes focusing on caprolactam (CPL) regeneration and repolymerization (PA6 →CPL →recycled PA6 (rPA6)) exhibit critical limitations, including high extractable substances, high energy consumption and long process. This study introduces an efficient depolymerization pathway (PA6 → depolymerized PA6 intermediate (the solid-phase product obtained after depolymerization of PA6, DPA6) → recycled PA6 (rPA6)) that operates at 200–240 °C achieving DPA6 with tailored molecular weights (3000–9000 g/mol, <em>η_r</em> = 1.27–2.53) and a DPA6 yield over 90 %. The rPA6 from DPA6 based on the optimized route significantly reduced extractable content (0.31–2.62 wt%) versus CPL-based PA6 (7.20 wt%). Thermal oxidation studies identified the principal chromophores responsible for yellowing during the thermal oxidation of PA6. After the optimization of thermal treatment conditions, the obtained rPA6 demonstrates remarkable improvements in chromatic performance (<em>b*</em> reduction: 30.82 → 5.55) and maintained comparable mechanical properties to PA6 prepared by CPL (tensile strength: 78.8 ± 1.3 MPa vs. 78.3 ± 0.8 MPa; impact resistance: 4.79±0.77 kJ/m² vs. 4.88±0.53 kJ/m²). The dual achievement of reduced extractables and suppressed yellowing provides practical technical solutions for sustainable polyamide 6 circularity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":406,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Degradation and Stability","volume":"242 ","pages":"Article 111644"},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145020118","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Thermal degradation and fire response characteristics of polymethylsilsesquioxane aerogels","authors":"Xiaoxu Wu,&nbsp;Miao Liu,&nbsp;Zikang Chen,&nbsp;Fang Zhou,&nbsp;Jiahui Chen,&nbsp;Yuming Duan,&nbsp;Zijun Li,&nbsp;Zhi Li","doi":"10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2025.111641","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2025.111641","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Polymethylsilsesquioxane (PMSQ) aerogels, widely recognized for their exceptional thermal insulation performance, have seen increasing application in fields such as aerospace and energy-efficient buildings. However, the lack of systematic investigation into their pyrolysis and combustion characteristics has hindered comprehensive understanding of their thermal safety. This study aimed to explore the thermal decomposition behavior and flammability of PMSQ aerogels through a combination of thermal analysis and structural characterization techniques. Results showed that PMSQ aerogels were ignited under external heat fluxes of 35 kW/m², 40 kW/m², and 45 kW/m², displaying similar combustion behaviors across all intensities. The flammability was attributed primarily to the presence of methyl groups bonded to the silica framework. Pyrolysis analysis further revealed that chemical degradation of methyl groups preceded the collapse of the silica skeleton, directly impacting the structural stability. Post-combustion characterization confirmed graphitic residue and changes in chemical bonding. These findings provide new insights into the degradation mechanism and combustion risk of PMSQ aerogels, thereby addressing the insufficient understanding of their thermal safety in insulation applications caused by the lack of systematic research on their pyrolysis and combustion behaviors.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":406,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Degradation and Stability","volume":"242 ","pages":"Article 111641"},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145004850","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Bioplastic microparticles exposure on brine shrimp, Artemia franciscana and the effects on survival, growth and intestinal microbiota composition","authors":"Nurul Mohd Ridzuan Afifah ,&nbsp;Jennifer Janani Sathiaseelan ,&nbsp;Khor Waiho ,&nbsp;Yeong Yik Sung ,&nbsp;Liying Sui ,&nbsp;Kesaven Bhubalan","doi":"10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2025.111640","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2025.111640","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Bioplastics are considered a greener alternative to conventional plastics and mitigate environmental pollution caused by mismanaged plastic waste. Although there is a tendency toward greater use of bioplastics, the extent to which they may accumulate in marine environments and organisms, and their potential impact remains unknown. Therefore, this study assessed the induced accumulation of irregular and non-homogenous bioplastic microparticles (polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), polylactic acid (PLA), and polybutylene succinate (PBS)) in brine shrimp (<em>Artemia franciscana</em>) at two concentrations (0.2 and 2.0 mg/L) and temperatures (26 °C and 30 °C) for 14 days. Overall, exposure to different types of bioplastics did not significantly impact the growth and survival of <em>Artemia</em> but was significantly affected by temperature and concentration<em>.</em> The growth of <em>Artemia</em> was significantly decreased at 30 °C compared to 26 °C. Meanwhile, the survival showed a significant difference between the concentrations of bioplastics exposure showing a higher survival percentage at 0.2 mg/L. Bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed that the dominance of phyla of gut microbiota across all samples and time points were <em>Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria</em>, and <em>Cyanobacteria</em>. The α-diversity across the treatments indicates the gut microbial composition underwent microbial shifts over time and might be influenced by bioplastic microparticles. This study suggests that there may be a combined adverse impact of bioplastic microparticles and temperature that can be seen in the growth, survival, and gut microbiota modulation. This study provides a preliminary understanding of the effect of bioplastic microparticles combined with temperature on marine organisms that shows a different perspective of bioplastics.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":406,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Degradation and Stability","volume":"242 ","pages":"Article 111640"},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145045673","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Molecularly engineered chito-oligosaccharide-derived ionic compounds for high fire safety, strength, and toughness in epoxy Resins and carbon fiber reinforced polymer composites","authors":"Chunhong Zhang ,&nbsp;Wenbo Sui ,&nbsp;Hao Liu ,&nbsp;Lihe Wang ,&nbsp;Lei Shang","doi":"10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2025.111638","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2025.111638","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The contradiction between high fire hazard and mechanical performance presents a barrier to the further application of carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRP). As a result, there is an increasing need for a \"strength-toughness-flame-retardant integration\" strategy for CFRP composites. In this study, a novel (protonic/aprotic) ionic compound (PBC-IL) derived from chitosan oligosaccharide (COS) was synthesized through molecular engineering design. By optimizing the molecular structure, a balance was achieved among the fire safety, mechanical strength, toughness, and \"filler-matrix\" compatibility of the composites. Experimental results show that the modified PBC-IL/epoxy (EP) composite exhibits superior flame-retardant properties compared to pure EP. At a 1.5 % additive concentration, pHRR and TSP are reduced by 19.3 % and 24.5 %, respectively, while achieving a UL-94 V-0 rating. The presence of dual \"ionic bonds\" effectively mitigates phase separation between COS and EP. Meanwhile, the bending strength of PBC-IL/EP reaches 163.5 MPa, and the impact strength reached 17.5 kJ·m^-2, showing an improvement of 135.9 % and 164.8 %, respectively, compared to EP. The bending strength of PBC-IL/EP/CFRP was 1219.8 MPa, and the interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) was 87.8 MPa, exhibiting increased of 26.7 % and 44.8 %, respectively, compared to EP/CFRP. This effectively overcomes the conflict between strength, toughness, and flame retardancy.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":406,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Degradation and Stability","volume":"242 ","pages":"Article 111638"},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144989005","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Combining respirometry and HPLC-HRMS to elucidate the biodegradation of polyethylene glycol and its derivatives","authors":"Aaron Kintzi ,&nbsp;Valentin Göldner ,&nbsp;Soumya Daturpalli ,&nbsp;Glauco Battagliarin ,&nbsp;Andreas Künkel ,&nbsp;Thilo Hofmann ,&nbsp;Michael Zumstein","doi":"10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2025.111639","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2025.111639","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Water-soluble polymers (WSPs) fulfil essential functions in many applications, such as home and personal care, and are often released into wastewater systems after use. Biodegradable WSPs are therefore needed and standardized biodegradation testing is crucial for their development and regulation. In this study, we combined respirometry-based biodegradation testing with high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry (HPLC-HRMS) to obtain a process-level understanding of the biodegradation of polyethylene glycols (PEGs) by wastewater microbiomes. We used two derivatives with similar molecular weights: PEG and PEG-dimethyl ether (dmPEG). Both PEG and dmPEG exhibited substantial biodegradation, exceeding 80 % mineralization within 28 days. We demonstrate dmPEG biodegradation for the first time, while earlier reports claimed that dmPEG was non-biodegradable and that a terminal hydroxyl group is essential for PEG biodegradation. Our HPLC-HRMS analyses revealed significant shifts in the molecular weight (MW) distribution of PEG starting on day 3, implying that the initial lag phase primarily reflects microbial adaptation rather than PEG breakdown. Following this initial shift, the PEG MW distribution stabilized around 1.5 kDa and intermediates &lt;1 kDa were not detected, which we ascribed to rapid microbial uptake and biodegradation of these low-MW species. The detection of carboxylated biodegradation intermediates in the cell-free supernatant provides evidence that certain steps in PEG biodegradation occur extracellularly. Together, our study highlights the potential of combining standardized biodegradation testing based on respirometry with HPLC-HRMS analysis to elucidate WSP biodegradation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":406,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Degradation and Stability","volume":"242 ","pages":"Article 111639"},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145004852","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Thermo-mechanical deterioration and molecular degradation of 3D-printed methacrylate-based polymer in various chemical environments","authors":"Md Shahjahan Mahmud ,&nbsp;Juan E.M. Urbay ,&nbsp;Antonio Delgadillo ,&nbsp;Diana Fontes ,&nbsp;Saqlain Zaman ,&nbsp;Xavier O. Nieves Garcia ,&nbsp;Alexis Lopez ,&nbsp;Sarah Nathan Joyce ,&nbsp;David A. Roberson ,&nbsp;Katja Michael ,&nbsp;Alexandria N. Marchi ,&nbsp;Yirong Lin ,&nbsp;Brian E. Schuster","doi":"10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2025.111633","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2025.111633","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The advancement of additive manufacturing (AM) has accelerated the development of stereolithographic (SLA) photo-curable resins, particularly methacrylate-based polymers, due to the ability to their high-resolution, robust mechanical properties, and suitability. However, their long-term performance in chemical environments remains poorly understood. This study investigates the extent and mechanisms of degradation on an SLA-printed methacrylate-based polymer subjected to various chemicals, including polar and non-polar solvents, as well as strongly acidic aqueous solutions over a 12-week accelerated aging period. A comprehensive analytical approach incorporating swelling kinetics, surface morphology, tensile and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry (MS) was employed to characterize chemical absorption, structural integrity, and leached products. Results reveal that degradation severity is governed by both the polarity and reactivity of the chemical environment. Notably, exposure to 6 mol <span>l</span>^-1 HNO₃ induced the most severe deterioration, with over threefold higher swelling compared to other media, and significant reductions in tensile strength, tensile modulus, and glass transition temperature (T_g). In contrast, specimens aged in non-polar solvents (xylene and dodecane) exhibited negligible chemical interaction and retained mechanical performance. FTIR and MS analyses identified acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of ester groups as prominent degradation pathways in acidic media, while diffusion-controlled plasticization prevailed in polar solvents. This study provides valuable insights into the chemical stability of SLA-printed polymers and develops predictive degradation profiles that are crucial for designing durable polymer systems for advanced industrial use.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":406,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Degradation and Stability","volume":"242 ","pages":"Article 111633"},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145045674","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Typha orientalis fibers based full biomass aerogel with robust flame retardancy and early fire warning","authors":"Chang Wang ,&nbsp;Min Hu ,&nbsp;Yanji Wu ,&nbsp;Haiyun Ma ,&nbsp;Jianzhong Xu","doi":"10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2025.111637","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2025.111637","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Biomass-derived cellulose aerogels have garnered significant attention in recent years due to their renewability and sustainability. Here, we introduce a completely biomass typha orientalis fibers (TOFs) based aerogel which possesses excellent flame retardancy and fire warning performance. Both cellulose and lignin were effectively preserved to maximize the utilization of the biomass TOFs during the pretreatment. The TOFs were then crosslinked with the biomass flame retardant ammonium phytate. The resulting TOFs based aerogel possesses a low density (48 mg/cm³) and excellent thermal insulation properties. Meanwhile, robust flame retardancy was also achieved, its UL-94 rating easily reaches V-0 grade, with a limiting oxygen index (LOI) as high as 78 %. In addition, based on the stable phosphorus doping char structure during combustion, the TOFs based aerogel also shows fire warning performance. It can respond quickly upon flame and continue to trigger alarm for up to 1.5 h. Moreover, the resulting TOFs based aerogel demonstrates excellent reusability in fire early warning up to 30 times. The present full biomass-based aerogel not only provide a fire warning capability but also contribute to the suppression of flame spread, thereby enhancing the overall safety.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":406,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Degradation and Stability","volume":"242 ","pages":"Article 111637"},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144988920","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Phase structure engineering of nanostructural silicone-phenolic hybrids toward excellent ablation-resistance","authors":"Yisen Huang,&nbsp;Chuxiang Zhou,&nbsp;Quan Yuan,&nbsp;Xiaofeng Chi,&nbsp;Weiyi Ding,&nbsp;Liwei Yan,&nbsp;Huawei Zou,&nbsp;Yang Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2025.111634","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2025.111634","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Silicone-phenolic hybrids (SiPR) featuring unique self-ceramization abilities and excellent thermal-oxidative stabilities have attracted great interest as candidates for thermal protection in extreme environments. However, their applications are limited due to obvious phase separation, which leads to the early failure in the interface. To address these issues, a tailored silicone modified boron-phenolic hybrid (SBPR) is particularly prepared via adding Shiff base-containing organosilane (N-(triethoxysilylpropyl) salicylaldimine, ATSD), as the functional monomer, to a reaction mixture containing boron-phenolic resin (BPR) and triethoxymethylsilane (MTES). Accurate regulation of silicone-rich phase from nano-scale phase separation to molecular-scale homogeneity is achieved by fine tuning the hydrolysis condensation of silicone monomer. Profiting from the binary network with nano-scale phase size and ameliorated interface, optimized SBPR presents fascinating anti-ablation performance, the linear and mass ablation rates show reductions of 102.9 % and 17.02 % compared to those of the BPR counterparts. Moreover, a defined relationship of phase structures with fluorescence performances can be observed in SBPR, validated by the aggregation-induced emission (AIE) characteristics of ATSD. This work provides a promising platform for the phase-structure engineering of SiPR toward advanced thermal protection material designs and applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":406,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Degradation and Stability","volume":"242 ","pages":"Article 111634"},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144919874","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Engineering self-healing and flame-retardant polyurethane elastomers via phosphaphenanthrene functionalization and hydrogen bond network design","authors":"Feng Rong ,&nbsp;Nannan Song ,&nbsp;Long Xiang ,&nbsp;Zhongwei Chen ,&nbsp;Kai Wang ,&nbsp;Tingting Chen ,&nbsp;Yuan Yu ,&nbsp;Juncheng Jiang","doi":"10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2025.111636","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2025.111636","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Self-healing polymers, polyurethane (PU) elastomers, demonstrate immense application potential due to their remarkable ability to prolong material lifespan and conserve resources. Nevertheless, resolving the conflict between self-healing capacity, mechanical strength, and high flammability remains a pressing challenge for these materials. Furthermore, the inherently high flammability of PU materials poses serious fire hazards, severely limiting their practical applications. To address these challenges, a novel flame-retardant and self-healing PU elastomer was developed by incorporating a bio-based monomer, GVD containing phenolic hydroxyl groups and phosphaphenanthrene moieties and adipic dihydrazide into the PU backbone. The resulting elastomer exhibited excellent tensile strength (12.11 MPa) and high toughness (58.56 MJ/m³), attributed to the multiple extensive hydrogen bonding interactions within the molecular chains. Following thermal healing at 80 °C for 5 h, the material achieved a healing efficiency exceeding 95 %. Additionally, compared to the non-flame-retardant IPDG-0, the flame-retardant IPDG-0.5 displayed a 50.6 % reduction in peak heat release rate and a 16.3 % decrease in peak carbon monoxide emission rate, confirming its improved flame retardancy. This research not only advances the synthesis of multifunctional PU elastomers but also provides a valuable strategy for developing self-healing materials with intrinsic flame retardancy, thereby expanding their potential applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":406,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Degradation and Stability","volume":"242 ","pages":"Article 111636"},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144988919","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mechanistic study of enzymatic hydrolysis of poly(butylene succinate)/poly(pentamethylene 2,5-furanoate)-based blend and block copolymer","authors":"Chiara Siracusa ,&nbsp;Mattia Manfroni ,&nbsp;Alessandro Coatti ,&nbsp;Felice Quartinello ,&nbsp;Michelina Soccio ,&nbsp;Nadia Lotti ,&nbsp;Georg M. Guebitz ,&nbsp;Alessandro Pellis","doi":"10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2025.111631","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2025.111631","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Poly(butylene succinate)(PBS) and poly(pentamethylene 2,5-furanoate)(PPeF) are bio-based polymers that proved to be compatible to derive versatile blends. The different mechanical properties resulting from their combinations respond to the diverse needs in food packaging. While already their physical blending lead to products with good flexibility, copolymers showed further improved elasticity while maintaining good gas barrier properties. The possibility of being fully degraded through hydrolytic enzymes places an additional advantage to the fully green potential of these polymers. The two homopolymers, their physical blend as well as copolymer were demonstrated to be decomposed by the <em>Humicola insolens</em> cutinase (HiC) reaching 100 % of weight loss after 24 h of incubation. PBS was hydrolysed faster than PPeF, while, interestingly, at 50 % content of each polymer, the physical blend was more susceptible to enzymatic hydrolysis than the copolymer, as resulted from weight loss and HPLC quantification of the released monomers. This trend was even more pronounced related to reduction of molecular weight during the first phase of hydrolysis as indicated by Gel Permeation Chromatography analysis. Surface characterization of the polymers during hydrolysis by using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy likewise confirmed faster hydrolysis of PBS moieties. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance highlighted slower appearance of hydrolysis-related groups in the copolymer when compared to the physical blend. Overall, this mechanistic study indicates that blending or synthetizing copolymers can influence enzymatic hydrolysis with important implications towards exploitation of enzymes as an environmentally benign emerging technology for recycling.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":406,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Degradation and Stability","volume":"242 ","pages":"Article 111631"},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144989008","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}