Sugar end-capped polyethylene: Ceric ammonium nitrate initiated oxidation and melt phase grafting of glucose onto polyethylene and its microbial degradation

Challenges for Natural Monomers and Polymers: Novel Design Strategies and Engineering to Develop Advanced Polymers

“…In an attempt to introduce biodegradability to polyethylene, low-density polyethylene (LDPE) was modified by grafting highly hydrophilic monomers (which can act as nutrients for microorganisms) such as glucose by a novel melt phase reaction using a Brabender plasticorder in the presence of ceric ammonium nitrate (CAN) to obtain 4-O-hydroxymethyl-D-arabinose (sugar) end-capped LDPE (Sug-LDPE) at a maximum grafting of 16%. The present data support a microbial oxidation process involving β-oxidation whereby the carbonyl is further oxidized to carboxylic acid and effects cleavage of the LDPE chain at the ends [224].…”

“…These attributes and their easy availability from renewable agricultural sources [224][225][226][227][228] contribute to make them a leading candidate material in biomedical and pharmaceutical industries as a resorbable implant material, wound closure, bone fixation device and a vehicle for controlled drug delivery [229,230]. It is also used as an environment friendly plastic, although their market is still limited due to its higher cost and slow degradation rate as compared to the waste accumulation rate.…”

Cerium(IV) Ammonium NitrateA Versatile Single-Electron Oxidant

“…A detailed account of such reactions is beyond the scope of this review. Some of the current results are cited. − …”

Copolumers obtained by grafting of vinyl monomers on starch - influence of amines on synthesis and degradation processes in environment

“…Prisustvo kolonija ukazuje na razmoţavanje mikroorganizama u prisustvu dovoljne količine hranljivih materija i povoljnih uslova sredine. Glukoza se moţe kalemiti na LDPE, a tako su dobijeni lanci PE sa krajnjim glukoznim jedinicama, koji se mogu biodegradovati pod uticajem Pseudomonas sp [299]. UtvrĎeno je da je u toku trajanja eksperimenta (25 dana) dolazilo do rasta kolonija na polimeru i to na glukoznim jedinicama, koje su predstavljale dobar izvor ugljenika.…”

“…Do sada navedeni podaci o biodegradaciji različitih kalemljenih kopolimera SK [292,296,299,300] ukazuju na manji stepen degradacije od rezultata degradacije dobijenih u ovoj doktorskoj tezi pri razgradnji PS-g-SK kopolimera u VOV-u (od 8,59 % za 28 dana kod akrilonitril-g-SK kopolimera [296] do 65 % kod kalemljenih kopolimera SK i etil-metakrilata za isti vremenski period [296]). …”