Emergent Self-Assembly of Sustainable Plastics Based on Amino Acid Nanocrystals.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 37871004.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1021/acsnano.3c02528 and PMC identifier 10655173.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Development of biodegradable plastic materials is of primary importance in view of acute environmental and health problems associated with the accumulation of plastic waste. We fabricated a biodegradable composite material based on hydroxyethyl cellulose polymer and tyrosine nanocrystals, which demonstrates enhanced strength and ductility (typically mutually excluding properties), superior to most biodegradable plastics. This emergent behavior results from an assembly pattern that leads to a uniform nanoscale morphology and strong interactions between the components. Water-resistant biodegradable composites encapsulated with hydrophobic polycaprolactone as a protection layer were also fabricated. Self-assembly of robust sustainable plastics with emergent properties by using readily available building blocks provides a valuable toolbox for creating sustainable materials.