Journal of Polymers and the Environment最新文献

{"title":"On the Development of Sustainable Covalent Adaptable Networks Based on Epoxidized Soybean Oil Acrylate and Cystamine","authors":"Leonardo Giribaldi,&nbsp;Giacomo Damonte,&nbsp;Alberto Fina,&nbsp;Camilla Noè,&nbsp;Alessandro Pellis,&nbsp;Orietta Monticelli","doi":"10.1007/s10924-026-03915-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10924-026-03915-2","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The work focuses on the design of sustainable materials that meet key environmental requirements, including the bio-based origin of starting compounds, environmentally friendly preparation methods, as well as easy recyclability and biodegradation at the end of life. To this end, systems based on reagents from renewable sources, such as epoxidized soybean oil acrylate (ESOA) and cystamine (Cys) as a crosslinker, were developed to form covalent adaptable networks (CANs), using a simple reaction carried out under mild conditions, without the need for solvent or catalyst. Two different molar ratios between the acrylate groups of ESOA and the amino groups of Cys were investigated (1:1, ESOA-Cys_1:1 and 2:1, ESOA-Cys_2:1). The Aza–Michael reaction between the two components was confirmed and monitored during curing at different temperatures by IR spectroscopy, revealing distinct kinetic behaviors for the two formulations, a phenomenon attributed to a change in the reaction mechanism. In both cases, network formation was confirmed by gel fraction (GF%) analysis, which reached 100%, indicating complete cross-linking after 6 h under all temperature conditions tested. DSC measurements of the two formulations were recorded over time, curing the samples at 100 °C, the temperature characterized by the fastest kinetics among those investigated. The glass transition temperature (T_g) of the formulations was found to gradually increase over time during curing, with the formulations reaching comparable T_g values of -3 °C and − 4 °C for 1:1 and 2:1, respectively, which levelled off to the same value of -2 °C after 2 days, thus demonstrating the formation of crosslinks within the systems and confirming the effectiveness of the curing time used for sample preparation. DMTA and rheological measurements of the cured samples revealed the formation of more rigid networks in ESOA-Cys_2:1, attributed to a higher crosslinking density, while stress-relaxation experiments demonstrated the dynamic nature of the networks in both formulations, although the relaxation behavior depended on the acrylate: amino groups molar ratio, reflecting the crosslinking density. Finally, the developed CANs exhibited excellent recyclability and self-healing properties when heated to 180 °C and were completely degraded by enzymatic hydrolysis.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymers and the Environment","volume":"34 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-07-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10924-026-03915-2.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148433869","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Biogenic Fabrication and Characterization of Seaweed-Polysaccharide Derived Ultrafine CeO2 Nanoclusters for Evaluating its Biotherapeutic Potential","authors":"Durairaj Karthick Rajan,&nbsp;Divya Karthick Rajan,&nbsp;Hao Li,&nbsp;Sayed S. Esa,&nbsp;Hassan M.M. Masoud,&nbsp;Sakthivel Chandrasekar,&nbsp;Kannan Mohan,&nbsp;Shumiao Zhang,&nbsp;Wang Yang,&nbsp;Jinzheng Wu,&nbsp;Duo Li,&nbsp;Shubing Zhang","doi":"10.1007/s10924-026-03912-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10924-026-03912-5","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This investigation explores the fabrication of <i>Sargassum hemiphyllum</i> polysaccharide (Shp) stabilized CeO₂ nanoclusters (Shp-CeO₂ NCs). The synthesized Shp-CeO₂ NCs were characterized using various techniques. HR-TEM analysis revealed that the particles were &lt; 10 nm and appeared like clusters. Elemental mapping (EDX) and XPS analysis confirmed the purity of Shp-CeO₂ NCs. In addition, Shp-CeO₂ NCs exhibited potent bactericidal and biofilm inhibitory effects against <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> and <i>Streptococcus mutans</i> upon treatment with 60 µg/mL doses. The CCK-8 assay evidenced the cytotoxic effects of Shp-CeO₂ NCs against MDA-MB-231 cells with an IC₅₀ value of 116.47 µg/mL. AO/PI staining exposed the presence of apoptotic bodies and necrotic cells upon treatment with an IC₅₀ concentration of Shp-CeO₂ NCs. PI-stained cells revealed that Shp-CeO₂ NCs can cause nuclear damage and fiery red colored nuclei, indicating the dissipated cell membranes. DAPI staining was also performed to identify the nuclear damage. Meanwhile, the detection of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) and mitochondrial superoxide production in MDA-MB-231 cells were also confirmed. Most importantly, this is the first investigation to elucidate the potent multifunctional roles of <i>Sargassum hemiphyllum</i> polysaccharide (Shp) stabilized CeO₂ nanoclusters (Shp-CeO₂ NCs). These nanoclusters not only exhibit unique structure but also offered a promising therapeutic strategy in biomaterial research. Therefore, it can be concluded that Shp-CeO₂ NCs can act as a multifunctional hybrid material for various biological and environmental applications.</p><h3>Graphical Abstract</h3><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymers and the Environment","volume":"34 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-07-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148433871","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Synthesis of Polyhydroxyalkanoates Through Open Mixed Microbial Consortium Fermentation: Stability Assessment and Stepwise Expanded Cultivation","authors":"Sixuan Xu,&nbsp;Lin Chen,&nbsp;Yuhao Mei,&nbsp;Peikang Zhou,&nbsp;Jiachen Pan,&nbsp;Jianhang Qu,&nbsp;Shuai Zhao,&nbsp;Feng Huang,&nbsp;Leizhen Zhao,&nbsp;Xiao-Ming Ji","doi":"10.1007/s10924-026-03913-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10924-026-03913-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Mixed microbial culture (MMC) fermentation holds promising potential for polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) production due to its operational simplicity. However, maintaining process stability and ensuring continuous PHA production remains critical for its industrial application. In this study, the cyclic and long-term fermentation performance of MMC was evaluated. The maximum concentration of PHA was maintained at 3200–3571 mg·L^− 1 within a six-cycle butyric acid fermentation system. Subsequently, continuous co-polyester synthesis with mixed butyric-valeric acids substrate achieved the highest PHA content of 2301.1 mg·L^− 1 among five cycles, with a PHA composition comprising 35.5% 3-hydroxyvalerate. In light of the stable accumulation of PHA, a rapid gradient expansion of volume was conducted. The corresponding PHA outputs were recorded at 694.4 mg·L^− 1 (20 L system) and 358.2 mg·L^− 1 (50 L system). The dynamic detection of microbial populations revealed that the predominant functional species in continuous fermentation and scale-up culture systems included <i>Achromobacter</i>, <i>Pseudomonas</i>, <i>Paracoccus</i>, and <i>Aquamicrobium</i>. This study explores the stability of PHA synthesized by mixed consortia from a different perspective, highlighting the potentials of large-scale industrial PHA biomanufacturing.</p><h3>Graphical Abstract</h3><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymers and the Environment","volume":"34 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-07-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148433870","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Chitosan–Collagen Microaerogels Incorporating Bursera microphylla Fruit Extract with Antibacterial Properties","authors":"Víctor Alonso Reyna-Urrutia,&nbsp;Ramón Enrique Robles-Zepeda,&nbsp;Miriam Estevez,&nbsp;José Luis López-Miranda,&nbsp;Juan Ramón Cañez-Orozco,&nbsp;Karen Lillian Rodríguez-Martínez,&nbsp;Julio César López-Romero,&nbsp;Heriberto Torres-Moreno","doi":"10.1007/s10924-026-03910-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10924-026-03910-7","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p><i>Bursera microphylla</i> (A) Gray is a native medicinal plant from northwestern Mexico whose fruit extract has demonstrated relevant bioactivity. Chitosan (Cs) and collagen (Co) are naturally derived polymers widely recognized for their biodegradability, biocompatibility, and suitability for environmentally friendly biomedical applications. In this study, Cs/Co microaerogels loaded with <i>B. microphylla</i> fruit extract were synthesized, physicochemically characterized, and evaluated for <i>in vitro</i> degradation, cytotoxicity, and antibacterial activity. Three-dimensional Cs/Co hydrogels were prepared by physical crosslinking using ammonium hydroxide, followed by lyophilization and mechanical grinding to obtain microaerogels. Morphological and structural characterization was conducted using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), optical microscopy (OM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and moisture absorption assays. Cytotoxicity was assessed in RAW 264.7 macrophages by MTT assay, while antibacterial activity was evaluated against <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>. <i>In vitro</i> degradation was analyzed under physiological conditions in the presence of lysozyme (Lz). The resulting microaerogels exhibited irregular morphologies with rounded protrusions and particle sizes mainly ranging from 45 to 90 μm. FTIR spectra confirmed the preservation of native functional groups without new chemical bond formation, while TGA indicated adequate thermal stability of the encapsulated extract. The microaerogels showed hydrophilic properties and a reduced lysozyme-mediated degradation rate due to the presence of collagen and the encapsulated extract. Compared with the free extract, Cs/Co microaerogels loaded with 1% extract reduced cell viability to 68% at 200 µg/mL. Additionally, microaerogels loaded with 0.5% and 1% of extract significantly reduced <i>S. aureus</i> viability by 37% and 57%, respectively (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05). These results highlight the role of collagen in modulating structural stability and support the potential of Cs/Co microaerogels loaded with <i>B. microphylla</i> fruit extract as sustainable biopolymeric delivery systems for antibacterial applications.</p><h3>Graphical Abstract</h3><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymers and the Environment","volume":"34 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-07-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148433868","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of Solvent-Assisted Pretreatment on the Laccase-Mediated Polymerization of Pinus radiata Bark Tannins","authors":"Myleidi Vera,&nbsp;Carolina Guiñez,&nbsp;Edison Monroy,&nbsp;Lisette Lagos,&nbsp;Rayen Holder,&nbsp;Cristina Segura,&nbsp;Romina Romero","doi":"10.1007/s10924-026-03867-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10924-026-03867-7","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The transition toward environmentally responsible polymer production requires efficient strategies to transform renewable polyphenols into high-value biobased materials. However, enzymatic polymerization of tannins is often hindered by compositional variability in crude extracts, particularly by components that suppress laccase activity. This study demonstrates that solvent-assisted pretreatment is a decisive step for modulating the chemical composition of <i>Pinus radiata</i> bark tannins and, consequently, their enzymatic polymerization performance. Aqueous tannin extracts were subjected to controlled solvent-assisted pretreatment with solvents of increasing polarity, yielding fractions with distinct phenolic content and reactivity before polymerization. The pretreated fractions were characterized by FT-IR, TGA, Py-GC/MS, GC–MS, SEM, viscosity measurements, and water-solubility analyses to establish structure–reactivity relationships. Pretreatment conditions strongly influenced the relative abundance of phenolic and non-phenolic constituents, leading to pronounced differences in laccase-mediated polymer growth. Acetone-based pretreatment selectively preserved phenol-rich fractions, reaching viscosities of 1 Pa·s after 40 min of enzymatic reaction, while automated pretreatment enabled improved operational control and sequential fraction recovery. Short pretreatment times preserved phenolic integrity and enhanced polymerization efficiency, whereas prolonged pretreatment promoted partial oxidation and reduced enzymatic reactivity. Polymers obtained under optimized pretreatment conditions exhibited enhanced thermal stability, with a 20% increase in residual mass at 600 °C, and reduced water solubility. Overall, these results confirm that targeted solvent-assisted pretreatment is a decisive strategy for efficient, scalable, and sustainable enzymatic polymerization of tannins.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymers and the Environment","volume":"34 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-07-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148433761","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of Mild Extraction with a Eutectic Solvent on the Properties of Films Derived from Fish Gelatin","authors":"Cristina Gallego,&nbsp;Héctor Rodríguez,&nbsp;Ana Soto,&nbsp;Paola Alzate,&nbsp;Joe Kerry","doi":"10.1007/s10924-026-03892-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10924-026-03892-6","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The functional properties of gelatin-based films can be affected by the natural source of gelatin and by the way in which it is obtained from this source. The present work explores the influence of a mild extraction method, comprising maceration with an aqueous eutectic solvent (urea:sodium acetate trihydrate, 60:40) followed by warm water extraction, in films based on fish skin gelatin. These films were prepared using either glycerol or sorbitol as plasticizer, and analogous films made with a commercial fish skin gelatin were made for the purpose of comparison. The films with the gelatin extracted via the eutectic-assisted procedure showed superior barrier performance, with water vapor permeability being ca. 25–31% lower when a 35% plasticizer concentration was used with a film thickness of 100 μm (absolute values of 13.35 and 9.45 g·mm·m^− 2·d^− 1·atm^− 1 for glycerol or sorbitol as plasticizer, respectively). This was likely due to residual lipids forming hydrophobic domains, in agreement with water contact angles 8–13% higher than those of the equivalent films made with the commercial gelatin. These films also showed some intrinsic antimicrobial activity, as well as greater flexibility (higher elongation at break) and lower tensile strength. In the comparison between plasticizers, glycerol produced smoother and more flexible matrices, whereas sorbitol yielded denser structures that enhanced barrier properties but reduced elasticity. Overall, this work provides proof of the validity of the proposed eutectic-assisted method to produce fish skin gelatin that is well suited for the production of gelatin films with functional properties of interest for food packaging applications.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymers and the Environment","volume":"34 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-07-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10924-026-03892-6.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148433864","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Preparation of an Eco-Friendly Amphiphilic Polymer and its Antifouling Coating for Combating Marine Biofouling","authors":"Chen Zhang,&nbsp;Kesheng Meng,&nbsp;Wen Liu,&nbsp;Chenlu Jin,&nbsp;Mengying Wang,&nbsp;Jingyu Meng","doi":"10.1007/s10924-026-03903-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10924-026-03903-6","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Marine biofouling poses a significant challenge to marine facilities, increasing ship weight and fuel consumption. Developing efficient and environmentally friendly non-toxic antifouling materials is a current research hotspot to replace traditional toxic coatings. A polyethylene glycol-dimethyldiohexosilane-polymethyl trifluoropropyl siloxane (PEG-DMDES-PMTFPS) polymer was first prepared using a hydrolysis-condensation method. Subsequently, an antifouling coating (PDP) was prepared by physically blending the resulting polymer with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). The chemical structure, surface and cross-sectional morphology, mechanical properties, and antifouling performance were comprehensively characterized. The results indicated that PDP was uniformly distributed within the coating, significantly enhancing hydrophobicity with a maximum water contact angle of 105.25°. The coating exhibited optimal antifouling performance at a PDP content of 20 wt%, where the bacterial attachment rate dropped to 1.23%, and the chlorophyll-a content of diatoms was as low as 0.005 mg/L. Mechanistic analysis revealed that the synergistic effect of the hydration layer formed by PEG segments and the low surface energy of fluorinated segments effectively prevented initial microbial adhesion.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymers and the Environment","volume":"34 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-07-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148433915","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Eco-friendly Development of Chitosan Xanthate-modified(CSXAN) Hydrogel for Effective Removal of Co(II) ion and Methylene Blue Dye from Water: Adsorption and Catalytic behaviour","authors":"Kopal Kashaudhan,&nbsp;Poorn Prakash Pande,&nbsp;Jyoti Sharma,&nbsp;Amar Nath,&nbsp;Aradhana Chaudhary","doi":"10.1007/s10924-026-03879-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10924-026-03879-3","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;&lt;p&gt;The limited availability of multifunctional biopolymer-based hydrogels capable of removing both heavy metal ions and dyes remains a significant challenge, as most reported systems focus on single-pollutant adsorption and rely mainly on conventional functional groups. In the present study, we designed a Chitosan Xanthate-modified hydrogel (CSXAN hydrogel) incorporating diverse active sites to enhance metal coordination, electrostatic interaction, and secondary binding mechanisms, thereby enabling effective removal of Co(II) and methylene blue from synthetic wastewater. CSXAN hydrogel was synthesized using a free radical polymerization method. The CSXAN hydrogel was characterized through Ultraviolet-Visible, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, Thermogravimetric analysis, point of zero charge, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, Derivative Thermogravimetry, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area analyses. The BET analysis showed that CSXAN hydrogel possesses a specific surface area of 18.678 m²/g, an average pore diameter of 2.976 nm, and a total pore volume of 0.008 cm³/g, respectively. Optimization studies were conducted by preparing four grades of CSXAN hydrogel. Among them, CSXAN-3 hydrogel achieved maximum swelling capacities of 225.11 g/g in distilled water at pH 7 over 24 h, proving to be the best grade(referred as CSXAN only afterwards). The studies revealed that removal of Co(II) ion and MB dye were optimized at temperature of 25 ℃, with dosage of 1.2 g/L, pH of 7, time of 60 min and original concentration of 400 mg/L (for Co(II)) and 100 mg/L (for MB dye). The adsorption kinetics were best described by intra-particle diffusion kinetic model for Co(II)(R&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; = 0.9931) and MB dye(R&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; = 0.9919) and Langmuir adsorption isotherm with adsorption capacity(q&lt;sub&gt;e&lt;/sub&gt;)-386.7048(±60.7194) mg/g for Co(II)(R&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; = 0.9695) and 150.5810(±10.2430) mg/g for MB dye(R&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; = 0.9950) respectively. The negative values of ΔH specify that adsorption process is exothermic and negative ΔG values obtained at temperatures (298, 308 and 318 K) show spontaneous adsorption nature. The calculated thermodynamic parameters for Co(II) ions were ΔH = − 67.2143 (±6.1126) kJ/mol and ΔS = − 201.9190 (±19.4995) J/mol·K, with a correlation coefficient (R²=0.9768). Similarly, for methylene blue (MB) dye, ΔH and ΔS were −72.4386 (±8.5216) kJ/mol and −215.4618 (±27.2360) J/mol·K, with a correlation coefficient (R²=0.9520) respectively. These results demonstrate that both Co(II) ions and MB dye adsorption is thermodynamically feasible and predominantly exothermic in nature. The CSXAN hydrogel exhibited high adsorption efficiencies of 96.8% for MB dye and 92.11% for Co(II) ions, with corresponding desorption efficiencies of 95.35% and 89.35%, while maintaining reusability over five consecutive adsorption–desorption cycles. Additionally, catalytic reduction of MB dye was tracked by UV-visible spectroscopy. Additionally,","PeriodicalId":659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymers and the Environment","volume":"34 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-07-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148433863","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Soybean Molasses as a Feedstock for Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) Production by Mixed Microbial Cultures: Effects of the Organic Loading Rate","authors":"Andressa Gomes Barroso,&nbsp;Isabela Mehi Gaspari Augusto,&nbsp;José Alberto Domingues Rodrigues,&nbsp;Guilherme Henrique Duarte Oliveira","doi":"10.1007/s10924-026-03906-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10924-026-03906-3","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) are fully biodegradable polyesters synthesized by microorganisms from renewable carbon sources, including agro-industrial residues. Soy molasses, a carbohydrate-rich by-product of soybean processing, can be fermented to produce organic acids suitable for PHA production. The established process to produce PHA using mixed microbial cultures (MMC) comprises three stages: acidogenic fermentation, microbial enrichment and PHA accumulation. This study investigated PHA production by MMC through the application of different organic loading rates (OLR) in the enrichment stage in a sequential batch reactor (SBR). The nominal OLR values applied were 2.0, 3.5 and 7.0 kg _COD m⁻³ d⁻¹. Among the evaluated conditions, the best measured OLR for selecting PHA-producing MMC was 6.78 ± 0.37 kg _COD m⁻³ d⁻¹, based on stability in the enrichment reactor (F/F, 0.15 ± 0.06) and maximum volumetric PHA productivity (0.15 g _PHA L⁻¹ h⁻¹) in the accumulation assay. Biomass from the best conditions was also evaluated in an accumulation stage with acidified soy molasses fortified with its main organic acids (lactic, valeric, acetic, and butyric), at a concentration of 79 kg _COD m^− 3. When using fortified molasses as a substrate, productivity increased to 0.38 g _PHA L⁻¹ h⁻¹, with a yield of 0.48 g _COD−PHA g _COD−dosed⁻¹ (soluble COD), demonstrating a positive effect of high substrate concentration on accumulation performance. The biopolymer produced was a PHBV copolymer, with proportions of 3-hydroxybutyrate (HB) to 3-hydroxyvalerate (HV) ranging from 82:18 to 88:12 (mass basis) under non-fortified conditions, changing to 65:35 (mass basis) when fortified molasses was used.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymers and the Environment","volume":"34 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-07-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10924-026-03906-3.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148433865","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Self-Degradable Temporary Plugging Agent Based on Dynamic Covalent Bond-Crosslinked Double-Network Hydrogels","authors":"Junting Huang,&nbsp;Shuoshuo Wang,&nbsp;Yuxi He,&nbsp;Zhouxu Liu,&nbsp;Yifen Zhang,&nbsp;Guangyan Du,&nbsp;Jian Li","doi":"10.1007/s10924-026-03909-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10924-026-03909-0","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In this study, a double network hydrogel crosslinked via dynamic covalent bonds was developed. At room temperature, the material existed as a low-viscosity solution with excellent fluidity; as temperature increased to a specific threshold (80 °C), it underwent sol-gel transition and formed a stable gel with considerable mechanical integrity within two hours. This gelation time aligns well with the pumping process when compared to conventional time-based gel systems. The unique thermoresponsive was characterized using a suite of analytical techniques, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and rheological measurements. At 80 °C, the gel exhibited a viscosity of 28,600 mPa·s and breakthrough pressure gradient of 20 MPa / m, which is sufficient for typical plugging applications and significantly reduces the required material quantity compared to conventional polyacrylamide-based plugging systems. Results demonstrated that the system enabled in-situ controllable gelation for plugging, followed by autonomous self-degradation for deplugging - with no additional chemical breakers required. After the plugging operation, further temperature elevation or prolonged placement drove the hydrogel to degrade back into a low - viscosity, flowback - compatible solution, thereby restoring fracture conductivity. The material exhibits promising application potential in oilfield processes, such as water shutoff in oil and gas wells, and temporary plugging for diverting fracturing.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymers and the Environment","volume":"34 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-07-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148433742","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}