Journal of Polymers and the Environment最新文献

{"title":"Single-Vector Co-expression of petase and mhetase in E. coli Enhances PET Depolymerization Compared to Co-culture","authors":"Hilal Yılmaz,&nbsp;Sena Gül Şerbetçi,&nbsp;Esra Meşe Erdoğan,&nbsp;Melike Karaman,&nbsp;Buket Keklik,&nbsp;Melek Özkan","doi":"10.1007/s10924-026-03933-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10924-026-03933-0","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is a widely used synthetic polymer and a persistent environmental pollutant due to its resistance to natural degradation. Polyethylene terephthalate hydrolase (PETase) and mono(2-hydroxyethyl) terephthalate hydrolase (MHETase) from <i>Ideonella sakaiensis</i> offer a promising enzymatic route for PET hydrolysis. In this study, <i>petase</i> and <i>mhetase</i> genes were cloned separately and together into pETDuet-1 vectors, enabling co-expression of genes in a single host. Purified PETase and MHETase were characterized using soluble substrates and PET films. PETase showed the highest apparent activity toward p-nitrophenyl butyrate, with activity decreasing with increasing acyl chain length. The tested metal ions did not enhance PETase activity, and MgCl₂ caused the strongest inhibition. Recombinant cell-based PET hydrolysis was evaluated at different temperatures (20, 25, and 37 °C) and pH values (6–9), with the highest soluble product formation observed at 37 °C and pH 8. HPLC analysis showed that co-culture and single-vector co-expression increased terephthalic acid (TPA) formation compared with single-enzyme systems. The BHET/TPA molar ratio decreased from 0.195 in co-culture to 0.156 under co-expression, indicating improved intermediate conversion when both genes were expressed in the same host. FTIR, DSC, and SEM analyses supported surface-level PET modification, including changes in ester-associated bands, crystallinity, and localized erosion. Overall, single-vector co-expression of <i>petase</i> and <i>mhetase</i> improved soluble product distribution and intermediate turnover compared with co-culture.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymers and the Environment","volume":"34 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148751373","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":"Rosin-Based Multifunctional UV-Curable Resins with Tunable Acrylate Functionality and Hydroxyl Groups: Preparation and 3D Printing Applications","authors":"Linbin Jiang,&nbsp;Peng Yang,&nbsp;Mingyang Gu,&nbsp;Shengfeng Ye,&nbsp;Sijie Wang,&nbsp;Yuxin Fu,&nbsp;Yueyan Wang,&nbsp;Chuanxiang Wang,&nbsp;Xinyang Wang,&nbsp;Xiaoping Rao","doi":"10.1007/s10924-026-03932-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10924-026-03932-1","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Three rosin-based multifunctional ultraviolet (UV) resins were successfully synthesized from dehydroabietylamine (DHAA) via a Michael addition reaction under solvent-free and low-temperature conditions. The structures of the obtained oligomers were confirmed by amine value titration, FT-IR, and ¹H NMR spectroscopy, with conversions exceeding 95%. The resulting UV-curable systems exhibited excellent thermal stability, showing initial decomposition temperatures above 243 °C, maximum decomposition rate temperatures exceeding 426 °C, and glass transition temperatures surpassing 90 °C. With 50% 4‑acryloylmorpholine (ACMO) as a diluent, the cured resins based on rosin-based tetrafunctional UV resin (DHPE), rosin-based hexafunctional UV resin (TMEADH), and rosin-based decafunctional UV resin (DHPEAP) displayed tensile strengths of 46, 46, and 45 MPa and glass transition temperatures of 131.9, 114.7, and 139.6 °C, respectively. Molecular dynamics simulations revealed the interaction mechanisms between the resins and ACMO. Owing to its balanced mechanical and rheological performance, TMEADH was selected for LCD-based 3D printing, producing models with high structural integrity and fine feature resolution. This work provides a simple, green synthetic strategy for preparing high-performance, bio-based, multifunctional UV resins from rosin, demonstrating their promising potential in additive manufacturing.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymers and the Environment","volume":"34 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-07-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148628691","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":"The Estimation of Composition in Biosynthetic PHA Materials via fast Raman spectra giving insights into thermal processability dynamics","authors":"Panagiotis C. Tsaousis,&nbsp;Elianta Kora,&nbsp;Konstantinos S. Andrikopoulos,&nbsp;Ioanna Ntaikou,&nbsp;Giannis Penloglou,&nbsp;Gerasimos Lyberatos,&nbsp;George A. Voyiatzis","doi":"10.1007/s10924-026-03934-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10924-026-03934-z","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The structure of several classes of polyhydroxyalkanoates was studied via micro-Raman spectroscopy, including poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB), poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV), poly(3-hydroxyoctanoate) (PHO) and poly(3-hydroxy butyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate) (PH34B) polyesters. PHB, PHBV and PHO samples were biosynthesized at lab-scale by pure and mixed microbial cultures while the study included also commercially available materials including PH34B. The aim was to correlate the vibrational contribution of the side chains with the 3HV content, as well as to extend the correlation to higher branches or methylene sequences of recently emerging alternative hydroxyalkanoates, such as the medium-chain-length (mcl) 3-hydroxyoctanοate or even 4-hydroxybutyrate. The micro-Raman statistical data for PHBV were correlated with those from the standard GC-FID chromatographic characterization technique with the correlation accounting for an R² of over 0.96 for the peak at 840 cm^− 1. A second peak (at 1363 cm^− 1), which has also been taken into account previously, is hindered due to overlap by spectral features of additives found in commercial materials. Regarding the different HAs, it is demonstrated in the present work that the correlation through the 1450 cm^− 1 peak (R² = 0.98) is capable of quantitatively comparing the degrees of copolymerization in different PHA classes containing short or medium chain length (scl or mcl) HAs. The effect of the extent of the biosynthetic copolymerization was depicted on the thermal properties of these materials by delaying their crystallization kinetics and significantly reducing both their non-equilibrium and equilibrium melting temperatures, predicted by the random copolymer crystallization theories, as shown by DSC, with copolymerization not affecting their decomposition temperatures (TGA). It is thus demonstrated that either intracellular copolymerization with 3HV or switching to mcl HAs, quantitatively observed by Raman spectroscopy, could increase the processing window of these materials, providing a handy insight into the intended heat treatment of scl or mcl types of PHA materials.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymers and the Environment","volume":"34 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-07-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10924-026-03934-z.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148628690","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":"Tunable Biobased Epoxy Networks via Zn(acac)₂: From Limited Esterification to Dynamic Structures","authors":"Matheus Ferreira de Souza,&nbsp;Ingridy Dayane dos Santos Silva,&nbsp;Rafael Braga da Cunha,&nbsp;Gustavo de Figueiredo Brito,&nbsp;Pankaj Agrawal,&nbsp;Tomás Jeferson Alves de Melo,&nbsp;Camille Bakkali-Hassani,&nbsp;Claire Negrell,&nbsp;Vincent Ladmiral,&nbsp;Sylvain Caillol,&nbsp;Renate Maria Ramos Wellen","doi":"10.1007/s10924-026-03927-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10924-026-03927-y","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In this work, the influence of zinc acetylacetonate (Zn(acac)₂) as a catalyst on the curing/crosslinking, thermal stability, degradation, and rheological properties of epoxidized soybean oil (ESO) and sebacic acid (SA) systems is elucidated. Formulations containing 0, 2.5 and 10 wt% Zn(acac)₂ were characterized by FTIR, DSC, TG–IR, rheology and swelling/gel fraction analyses. FTIR confirmed extensive epoxy consumption (&gt; 97%), while DSC revealed that increasing Zn(acac)₂ content systematically lowered the curing temperature and reorganized the reaction pathway, resulting in a reduced apparent reaction enthalpy, which reflects the involvement of Zn²⁺ in the esterification process and more efficient network formation. TG–IR analysis demonstrated that, although Zn(acac)₂ decreases the onset of mass loss (T_5%), it significantly increases the temperature required for 95% mass loss (T_95%) and the residual mass, evidencing a transition to a more densely crosslinked structure promoted by increasing catalyst content. Rheology showed higher storage modulus, slower stress relaxation and elevated activation energies for topological rearrangement at higher catalyst concentrations, indicating the formation of coordination-restricted dynamic networks. Swelling and gel fraction measurements confirmed this enhanced architecture, showing reduced solvent uptake and increased insoluble content with increasing Zn(acac)₂. Overall, Zn(acac)₂ acts simultaneously as a catalytic accelerator and as a structural coordinator, enabling control over curing kinetics, network topology and thermal stability, and establishing ESO–SA/Zn(acac)₂ as a tunable platform to design fully biobased polymer systems.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymers and the Environment","volume":"34 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-07-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10924-026-03927-y.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148614253","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":"Amidated Pectin Hydrogel as a Carrier for Azospirillum sp. in Agricultural Applications","authors":"Cristiane Colodel,&nbsp;Meiriely Lara de Freitas Vaz,&nbsp;Pedro Monteiro de Almeida,&nbsp;Eduarda Guerlinguer,&nbsp;Michele Karoline Lima Tenório,&nbsp;Ernandes Taveira Tenório-Neto,&nbsp;Rafael Mazer Etto,&nbsp;Carolina Weigert Galvão","doi":"10.1007/s10924-026-03917-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10924-026-03917-0","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) are an important technology for increasing crop productivity, with the genus <i>Azospirillum</i> being widely used in grass cultivation. The encapsulation of PGPB in hydrogels represents a promising technology, providing a safer environment for bacterial adaptation and controlled release into the soil, thereby improving their survival. This study investigated the encapsulation of three strains, <i>A. brasilense</i> AbV5 and HM053, and <i>A. argentinense</i> Az39, in amidated pectin (PAm) hydrogels. Three concentrations of PAm (1–3%) were tested, with 3% forming the most regular-shaped beads, which were subsequently used for encapsulation. After encapsulation and drying, the encapsulated population was 7.8 × 10⁷ CFU/g for AbV5, 6.3 × 10⁷ CFU/g for HM053, and 2.5 × 10⁹ CFU/g for Az39. The Az39 strain was the most resistant to the drying process. Cell viability showed no significant reduction after 45 and 60 days for AbV5 and HM053, respectively, whereas Az39 maintained the initial population for 15 days. The beads were biodegradable, with over 94% mass loss after 15 days in soil burial. The bacterial release test showed no bacteria released within the first 48 h, allowing them to stabilize in the environment before release. After this period, release occurred quickly, and the population remained stable for 15 days. These results demonstrate that encapsulation in PAm hydrogels is a viable carrier strategy that warrants further evaluation under plant-growth and field conditions.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymers and the Environment","volume":"34 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-07-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10924-026-03917-0.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148614089","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":"Sustainable biopolymer films derived from banana peel waste: structure–property relationships and probiotic stability","authors":"Aysun Oraç","doi":"10.1007/s10924-026-03935-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10924-026-03935-y","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The valorization of agro-industrial by-products as renewable polymer resources offers a sustainable approach for developing bio-based packaging materials. In this study, edible synbiotic films were produced from banana peel powder (BPP), and the effects of corn starch (S) and two probiotic strains, <i>Lactiplantibacillus plantarum</i> (Lp) and <i>Bacillus coagulans</i> (Bc), on film properties were comparatively investigated. FT-IR, XRD, AFM, and DSC analyses indicated that starch incorporation promoted a more organized polymer network through intermolecular interactions, resulting in modifications in surface morphology, wettability, and moisture-related properties. Although probiotic incorporation did not substantially alter the primary chemical structure of the films, it affected their functional characteristics in a strain-dependent manner. Antioxidant activity varied according to the probiotic strain, with DPPH radical scavenging activity reaching 80.59% in Lp-containing films compared with 63.26% in Bc-containing films. Antimicrobial activity was also microorganism-dependent, with the strongest inhibitory effect observed against <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>. Both probiotic strains survived the film-forming process and remained viable throughout 35 days of storage. However, Bc exhibited greater stability, showing a viability loss of 1.3–1.4 log cfu/g compared with 2.0–2.3 log cfu/g for Lp. Despite these differences, all probiotic-containing films maintained viable populations of approximately 10⁷ cfu/g at the end of storage. Overall, the results demonstrate that formulation composition influences the structural organization and functional performance of banana peel-based edible films. The findings also highlight the potential of banana peel waste as a renewable resource for developing edible synbiotic packaging materials with tailored functional properties.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymers and the Environment","volume":"34 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-07-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148614090","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":"Valorization of Waste Coconut Oil into Polyhydroxyalkanoates via Thermophilic Bioconversion","authors":"Nassareeya Binlateh,&nbsp;Aophat Choonut,&nbsp;Narisa Binhayeeding,&nbsp;Nisa Paichid,&nbsp;Benjamas Cheirsilp,&nbsp;Kanokphorn Sangkharak","doi":"10.1007/s10924-026-03911-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10924-026-03911-6","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The conversion of agro-industrial residues into biodegradable polymers represents an approach for waste valorization and resource utilization. In this study, residual coconut solids from coconut milk processing were investigated as a feedstock for polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) production via thermophilic bioconversion. Waste coconut oil (WCO), recovered from the residues, was employed as the sole carbon source for PHA biosynthesis by <i>Caldibacillus thermoamylovorans</i> PHA005. Fatty acid profiling of WCO using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC–MS) revealed a heterogeneous composition comprising medium- and long-chain fatty acids (C12–C18). FT-IR was further used to confirm the functional groups of the extracted PHA, while GC–MS was employed for the analysis of hydroxyalkanoate monomers derived from the produced polymer. Under optimized cultivation conditions (4% w/v WCO, 45 °C, 250 rpm, 60 h), a maximum PHA accumulation of 89.7 ± 0.65% of dry cell weight was achieved, demonstrating substantial intracellular biopolymer accumulation from a waste-derived lipid substrate. Monomer composition analysis of methanolysed PHA revealed hydroxyalkanoates ranging from C8 to C18, including the odd-chain monomers C15 and C17, indicating a broad monomer composition. Thermal characterization revealed a melting temperature (T_m) of 75.0 °C, a glass transition temperature (T_g) of 5.1 °C, and a crystallization temperature (T_cc) of 56 °C, indicating distinct thermal characteristics of the produced polymer. The results demonstrate that waste coconut oil can serve as a carbon source for PHA production by <i>C. thermoamylovorans</i> PHA005 and provide further information on the composition and thermal properties of the resulting polymer. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report describing PHA production from waste coconut oil by <i>C. thermoamylovorans</i> PHA005, expanding the range of waste-derived substrates evaluated for thermophilic PHA production.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymers and the Environment","volume":"34 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-07-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148614359","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":"High-Resilience and Cyclically Stable Bio-Based PBAT Composite Foams Enabled by Chain Extension and PEBAx Reinforcement","authors":"Yuying Han,&nbsp;Yuyuan Fan,&nbsp;Kejian Cui,&nbsp;Hongfu Zhou,&nbsp;Xu Wang,&nbsp;Yafeng Deng,&nbsp;Xiaoling Zang,&nbsp;Xiangdong Wang","doi":"10.1007/s10924-026-03925-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10924-026-03925-0","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Biodegradable poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) foams are promising for sustainable applications, however, their inherent brittleness and poor dimensional recovery give rise to a dilemma between strength and elasticity. Herein, we challenge this trade-off by constructing a compatibilized microcellular blend consisting of PBAT and a bio-based polyether-block-amide (PEBAx) elastomer, with a multifunctional epoxy-based chain extender (CE) as a reactive compatibilizer. The CE formed graft copolymers at the interface, which significantly refined the phase morphology and enhanced interfacial adhesion-both of which were crucial for stabilizing the cellular structure during the foaming process. The optimized ternary foam exhibited a synergistic enhancement: a <i>227</i>% increase in compressive strength, a <i>76.7</i>% reduction in permanent deformation, and a <i>64</i>% improvement in rebound resilience compared to neat PBAT foam, thereby effectively decoupling the conventional property trade-off. Critically, after <i>10</i> compression cycles, the PBAT/CE/PEBAx foam retained <i>92.5</i>% of its initial strength with a low permanent set of only <i>5.5</i>%, demonstrating exceptional fatigue resistance. This microstructural design strategy provides a pathway to high-performance, biodegradable foams suitable for high-demand applications by reconciling the conflict between load-bearing capacity and elastic recovery.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymers and the Environment","volume":"34 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-07-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148614427","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":"Multi-Scale Analysis of PVP-Regulated PEEKWC/PEI Ultrafiltration Membranes for Dye Wastewater Treatment","authors":"Xiaoyu Yang,&nbsp;Yunwu Yu,&nbsp;Hailong Zhou,&nbsp;Qicheng Xu,&nbsp;Xiaowei Sun,&nbsp;Yan Wang,&nbsp;Peng Liu,&nbsp;Ting Li,&nbsp;Xin Liu,&nbsp;Lili Gao","doi":"10.1007/s10924-026-03926-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10924-026-03926-z","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In this study, an innovative multi-scale research framework integrating molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, machine learning (ML) prediction, and experimental validation was established to systematically elucidate the mechanism by which polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) regulates the performance and structure-property relationship of phenolphthalein-based polyether ether ketone/polyethyleneimine (PEEKWC/PEI) ultrafiltration membranes. MD simulations further revealed at the atomic scale that PVP forms a hydrogen-bonding network with the membrane matrix via the carbonyl oxygen of the pyrrolidone ring, thereby significantly enhancing interfacial compatibility. Its flexible chain intercalation can increase the free volume of the membrane. However, excessive addition induces local aggregation and entanglement of molecular chains, hindering water molecule diffusion, resulting in a decrease in diffusion coefficient from 0.115 Ų/ps to 0.082 Ų/ps. The ML model accurately reproduced the decreasing trend of water flux with the increase of PVP content. Combined with SHAP analysis to quantify the influence weight of each factor, it was clarified that operating pressure and surface roughness are the dominant factors, and the global optimal PVP addition amount was identified. Experimental validation showed that the PVP-K90 modified membrane exhibits the best comprehensive performance, with a pure water flux of up to 3162.1 L·m^-2·h^-1, a Congo Red (CR) rejection rate of 95.3%, and a flux recovery rate (FRR) of 88.9%, demonstrating excellent antifouling performance. The PVP-K120 modified membrane shows better dye rejection effect in high-salt environments, with a rejection rate exceeding 87%. This study moves beyond the traditional trial-and-error approach, reveals the microscopic essence of additive effects through multi-scale correlation analysis, not only successfully prepares high-performance ultrafiltration membranes, but also provides a replicable innovative research paradigm for the directed design and performance optimization of separation membranes.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymers and the Environment","volume":"34 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-07-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148614535","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":"Development of Kefiran- and Pullulan-based Probiotic Edible Films: Structural Properties, Probiotic Viability, and Gastrointestinal Stability","authors":"Çiğdem Konak Göktepe","doi":"10.1007/s10924-026-03921-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10924-026-03921-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study investigated the development and characterization of novel probiotic edible films based on kefiran (K), pullulan (P), and their blend (K/P) incorporated with <i>Bacillus coagulans</i> GBI-30, 6086 (BC30) or <i>Saccharomyces</i> (<i>S.</i>) <i>boulardii</i>. The influence of polymer composition and probiotic type on the physicochemical, barrier, structural, thermal, and biological properties was evaluated. All films were transparent, homogeneous, and flexible. Blending kefiran with pullulan effectively reduced the water sensitivity of pullulan while maintaining high brightness. FTIR analysis revealed spectral shifts in the O–H stretching region, suggesting intermolecular hydrogen-bonding interactions between kefiran and pullulan. DSC and AFM analyses demonstrated that <i>S. boulardii</i> increased nanoscale surface roughness and altered surface morphology, whereas BC30 spores functioned as dispersed filler particles, enhancing thermal stability with a Tpeak of 90.33 °C. BC30 exhibited the highest survival during simulated gastrointestinal digestion in pullulan-based films, whereas <i>S. boulardii</i> showed higher gastric sensitivity but maintained the highest post-digestion viability in P + S films (8.63 log CFU/g). Antimicrobial assays revealed that BC30-incorporated films showed selective inhibition, with K + B and K/P + B formulations producing inhibition zones of 27.50 ± 0.70 mm against <i>Listeria monocytogenes</i> ATCC 7644 and 25.50 ± 0.70 mm against <i>Escherichia coli</i> ATCC 25,922, respectively, while <i>S. boulardii</i> also demonstrated notable activity against <i>Klebsiella pneumoniae</i>. The high-water solubility and rapid biodegradability of pullulan-based films indicate their potential as eco-friendly active packaging materials. Overall, the K/P blend provided a structurally stable matrix and protective scaffold for probiotics, offering a promising functional packaging system with demonstrated biological activity.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymers and the Environment","volume":"34 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-07-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148614536","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}