Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
Polymer degradation is the reduction in the physical properties of a polymer, such as strength, caused by changes in its chemical composition. Polymers and particularly plastics are subject to degradation at all stages of their product life cycle , including during their initial processing, use, disposal into the environment and recycling. [ 1 ]
Enzyme-based microbial biodegradation can occur under two conditions: aerobic and anaerobic. Plastics are typically made up of hydrophobic polymers, so the first step of biodegradation under both conditions involves the breakdown of the polymer by the enzyme into smaller constituents such as oligomers, dimers, and monomers. [6]
Specific materials and their applications include polymer-protein and polymer-drug conjugates, mediation of enzyme activity, molecular recognition processes and polymeric micelles which can deliver a drug to a specific site in the body. [19] RAFT has also been used to graft polymer chains onto polymeric surfaces, for example, polymeric ...
Within all 69 PETase-like enzymes, there exists the same three residues within the active site, suggesting that the catalytic mechanism is the same in all forms of PETase-like enzymes. [ 9 ] Surface of the PETase double mutant ( R 103 G and S 131 A ) with HEMT (1-(2-hydroxyethyl) 4-methyl terephthalate) bound to its active site .
The breakdown of these polymers depend on a variety of factors including the polymer and also, the environment the polymer is in. Polymer properties that influence degradation are bond type, solubility, and copolymers among others. [2] The surrounding environment of the polymer is just as important as the polymer structure itself.
The degradation rate of many organic compounds is limited by their bioavailability, which is the rate at which a substance is absorbed into a system or made available at the site of physiological activity, [11] as compounds must be released into solution before organisms can degrade them. The rate of biodegradation can be measured in a number ...
Plastic degradation in marine bacteria describes when certain pelagic bacteria break down polymers and use them as a primary source of carbon for energy. Polymers such as polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) are incredibly useful for their durability and relatively low cost of production, however it is their persistence and difficulty to be properly ...
These enzymes degrade complex organic matter such as cellulose and hemicellulose into simple sugars that enzyme-producing organisms use as a source of carbon, energy, and nutrients. [2] Grouped as hydrolases, lyases, oxidoreductases and transferases, [1] these extracellular enzymes control soil enzyme activity through efficient degradation of ...