We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Plastics–Fertilizer Homology: Solid-Phase Molecular Assembly Enables Natural Closed-Ring Cycle of Biomass-like Plastics
Summary
Researchers developed a new type of biomass-like plastic made from alginate and plant-derived materials that functions as both a usable plastic and a soil fertilizer after disposal. The material showed mechanical strength comparable to conventional plastics while being fully biodegradable, breaking down in soil and actually promoting plant growth. This approach could address microplastic pollution by creating plastics that safely return to the natural cycle rather than persisting in the environment.
Biomasses have undergone natural closed-ring cycles for billions of years, including biodegradation, soil fertilization, and transformation to new biomass through neutralizing plants. If a bioplastic is made biomass-like, its natural closed-ring cycle would be very promising in tackling the white pollution and microplastics problems associated with petroleum plastics. Herein we report a proof-of-concept strategy employing plastics–fertilizer homology toward this goal. Biomass-like supramolecular plastics were fabricated through solid-phase molecular self-assembly of alginate and alkylammonium surfactants, followed by calcium coordination. The resultant plastics display satisfactory dry and wet mechanical strength, comparable to that of conventional petroleum plastics, while being fully biodegradable. The biodegradation products were able to increase pak choi’s wet/dry weights by 40% and 12%, respectively, promoting both soil fertility and water retention. This natural closed-ring cycle is very similar to real biomass processes, verifying the plastics–fertilizer homology as a promising solution to white pollution and microplastics crises.
Sign in to start a discussion.
More Papers Like This
Plastics–FertilizerHomology: Solid-Phase MolecularAssembly Enables Natural Closed-Ring Cycle of Biomass-like Plastics
Researchers developed a biomass-like supramolecular plastic made from components that share chemical properties with fertilizers, designed so the material can degrade in soil and release nutrients rather than leaving persistent microplastic residues. This plastics-fertilizer homology strategy demonstrated proof-of-concept for a fully closed-loop bioplastic that mimics natural biomass cycles.
Enhancing PolyelectrolyteStrength of Biopolymersfor Fully Recyclable and Biodegradable Plastics
Researchers developed a fully recyclable and biodegradable plastic material created through solid polyelectrolyte complexation of naturally occurring biopolymers, enhancing their polyelectrolyte strength to achieve mechanical properties competitive with conventional single-use packaging plastics. The study demonstrated that this approach addresses both the microplastic pollution problem and fossil fuel dependence while enabling end-of-life recyclability.
Functionalization of slow-release fertilizers and “passive predation microplastics” mechanism for polylactic acid composites
Researchers developed a biodegradable fertilizer film made from polylactic acid (PLA) and modified lignin that can slowly release nutrients while breaking down naturally in soil, offering an alternative to conventional plastic mulch. The study also explored how plants absorb tiny fragments of bio-based plastics, which is important for understanding whether even biodegradable alternatives still pose risks to food safety.
Enhancing Polyelectrolyte Strength of Biopolymers for Fully Recyclable and Biodegradable Plastics
This study developed a biodegradable and fully recyclable plastic material by forming solid polyelectrolyte complexes from naturally occurring charged polymers, achieving stiffness comparable to conventional plastics while enabling composting or dissolution-based recycling — with no microplastic residue.
Uniformly crosslinked algal bioplastic with triggerable decomposition in salt water
Researchers developed a uniformly crosslinked algal bioplastic designed to decompose on demand when exposed to salt water, presenting this material as a strategy to reduce marine plastic pollution and limit microplastic formation in ocean environments.