Non-Hydrolyzable Plastics – An Interdisciplinary Look at Plastic Bio-Oxidation

Enzymatic plastic conversion has emerged recently as a potential adjunct and alternative to conventional plastic waste management technology. Publicity over progress in the enzymatic degradation of polyesters largely neglects that the majority of commercial plastics, including polyethylene, polyprop...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Trends in biotechnology (Regular ed.) 2021-01, Vol.39 (1), p.12-23
Main Authors: Inderthal, Hedda, Tai, Siew Leng, Harrison, Susan T.L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Bacteria
Biodegradability
Biodegradation
Carbon
chain-flexibility hypothesis
Enzymes
Flexibility
High density polyethylenes
Interdisciplinary aspects
Macromolecules
Mineralization
Molecular weight
Oxidation
Physics
plastic biodegradation
Plastic debris
Plastics
Polyester resins
Polyesters
Polyethylene
Polyethylene terephthalate
Polyethylenes
Polymer blends
polymer degradation
Polymers
Polypropylene
Polystyrene
Polystyrene resins
Polyvinyl chloride
Waste management
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Summary:Enzymatic plastic conversion has emerged recently as a potential adjunct and alternative to conventional plastic waste management technology. Publicity over progress in the enzymatic degradation of polyesters largely neglects that the majority of commercial plastics, including polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene and polyvinyl chloride, are still not biodegradable. Details about the mechanisms used by enzymes and an understanding of macromolecular factors influencing these have proved to be vital in developing biodegradation methods for polyesters. To expand the application of enzymatic degradation to other more recalcitrant plastics, extensive knowledge gaps need to be addressed. By drawing on interdisciplinary knowledge, we suggest that physicochemical influences also have a crucial impact on reactions in less well-studied types of plastic, and these need to be investigated in detail. Significant progress has been made in understanding the enzymatic degradation of hydrolyzable plastics with heteroatoms in their backbone structure, but information about the mechanisms and limiting factors for reactions of plastics containing C–C backbones is lacking.These plastics have been less well studied, and knowledge gained in related fields is invoked to propose reaction characteristics.Macromolecular architecture has been shown to govern enzymatic degradation of hydrolyzable plastics as well as abiotic reactions in polymers. We propose that this is applicable to all types of plastics as a determining factor according to the chain-flexibility hypothesis.Thermostable laccase mediator systems are promising enzyme system candidates.
ISSN:0167-7799
1879-3096
DOI:10.1016/j.tibtech.2020.05.004