Impact of Bis--dihydroferuloyl-1,4-butanediol Content on the Chemical, Enzymatic and Fungal Degradation Processes of Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate).

Poly-β-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) is a very common bio-based and biocompatible polymer obtained from the fermentation of soil bacteria. Due to its important crystallinity, PHB is extremely brittle in nature, which results in poor mechanical properties with low extension at the break. To overcome these issues, the crystallinity of PHB can be reduced by blending with plasticizers such as ferulic acid derivatives, e.

Improved Processability and Antioxidant Behavior of Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) in Presence of Ferulic Acid-Based Additives.

Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate), PHB, has gathered a lot of attention for its promising properties-in particular its biobased nature and high biodegradability. Although PHB is prime candidate for the packaging industry, the applications are still limited by a narrow processing window and thermal degradation during melt processing. In this work, three novel additives based on ferulic acid esterified with butanediol, pentanediol, and glycerol (BDF, PDF, and GTF, respectively) were used as plasticizers and antioxidative additives to improve mechanical properties of PHB.

Synthesis of Lignin-based Phenol Terminated Hyperbranched Polymer.

In this work, we proved the efficient synthesis of a bio-based hyper-branched polyphenol from a modified lignin degradation fragment. Protocatechuic acid was readily obtained from vanillin, a lignin degradation product, via alkaline conditions, and further polymerised to yield high molecular weight hyperbranched phenol terminated polyesters. Vanillic acid was also subjected to similar polymerisation conditions in order to compare polymerisation kinetics and differences between linear and hyperbranched polymers.

Photocleavable Hydrogels for Light-Triggered siRNA Release.

A photocleavable hydrogel system for on-demand delivery of genetic material is reported. The release of short interfering RNAs can be triggered by the application of UV light without any loss in bioactivity. This approach provides a promising external stimulus-based nucleic acid delivery platform for applications in disease therapeutics and tissue regeneration.