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Investigations into the characterization, degradation, and applications of biodegradable polymers by mass spectrometry
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This review examines how mass spectrometry techniques are being used to study biodegradable polymers, from confirming their chemical structures to tracking how they break down over time. Researchers highlighted advances in analyzing degradation products and assessing whether biodegradable materials truly decompose as intended in different environments. The study underscores that while biodegradable plastics offer promise for reducing pollution, rigorous analytical methods are needed to verify their real-world performance.
Biodegradable polymers have been getting more and more attention because of their contribution to the plastic pollution environmental issues and to move towards a circular economy. Nevertheless, biodegradable materials still exhibit various disadvantages restraining a widespread use in the market. Therefore, additional research efforts are required to improve their performance. Mass spectrometry (MS) affords a relevant contribution to optimize biodegradable polymer synthesis, to confirm macromolecular structures, to examine along the time the progress of degradation processes and highlight advantages and drawbacks in the extensive applications. This review aims to provide an overview of the MS investigations carried out to support the synthesis of biodegradable polymers, with helpful information on undesirable products or polymerization mechanism, to understand deterioration pathways by the structure of degradation products and to follow drug release and pharmacokinetic. Additionally, it summarizes MS studies addressed on environmental and health issues related to the extensive use of plastic materials, that is, potential migration of additives or microplastics identification and quantification. The paper is focused on the most significant studies relating to synthetic and microbial biodegradable polymers published in the last 15 years, not including agro-polymers such as proteins and polysaccharides.
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