Strong fibers and films of microbial polyesters

Poly[(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate] (P(3HB)) and its copolymers are accumulated by a wide variety of microorganisms as intracellular carbon and energy material, and are extensively studied as biodegradable and biocompatible thermoplastics. However, these microbial polyesters have not been recognized as practical because of their stiffness and brittleness. Recently, by new drawing techniques, we succeeded in obtaining strong fibers and films from microbial polyesters, produced by both wild-type and recombinant bacteria. The improvement in mechanical properties of the fibers and films is due not only to the orientation of molecular chains, but also to the generation of a zigzag conformation and network structure, formed by fibrillar and lamellar crystals. The structure of strong fibers with a tensile strength over 1.0 GPa was analyzed by micro-beam X-ray diffraction with synchrotron radiation. The strong fibers and films were completely degraded in natural, river freshwater or by extracellular polyhydroxybutyrate depolymerases. In this feature article, the processing, mechanical properties, highly ordered structure and biodegradability of strong fibers and films produced from microbial polyesters are presented.     

二维傅里叶变换红外(2D FTIR)相关光谱技术研究聚羟基丁酸酯(PHB)的熔融与结晶

应用新型二维傅里叶变换红外(2DFTIR)相关光谱研究细菌合成聚羟基丁酸酯(PHB)在升温时的预熔行为以及降温后的重结晶过程.在25～220℃的变温过程中测得动态红外光谱.着重讨论了在热力学干扰导致红外谱图中羰基峰(1700～1770cm^-1)和醚键(1230～1310cm^-1)吸收强度的波动.结果表明,这种影响来自样品中PHB的结晶态和非晶态之间的相态变化.二维谱图分析表明,在热熔过程中,结晶态的消失并不同时引起完全非晶态的出现,暗示在分子排列高度有序的晶态和非晶态之间存在某种中间态,PHB晶体向非晶态转变时必须经过一个预熔过程.在红外谱图上这个中间态很可能对应着由二维分析显示出来的位于1730cm^-1的吸收峰.同时,在PHB熔体从非晶态逐渐生成晶体的过程中也探测到了中间态的存在.     

Synthesis and characterization of biodegradable triblock copolymers based on bacterial poly[(R)‐3‐hydroxybutyrate] by atom transfer radical polymerization

Biodegradable poly(tert‐butyl acrylate)–poly[(R)‐3‐hydroxybutyrate]–poly (tert‐butyl acrylate) triblock copolymers based on bacterial poly[(R)‐3‐hydroxybutyrate] (PHB) were synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization. The chain architectures of the triblock copolymers were confirmed by ¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR spectra. Gel permeation chromatography analysis was used to estimate the molecular weight characteristics and lengths of the PHB and poly(tert‐butyl acrylate) blocks of the copolymers. The thermal properties of the copolymers were studied by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). TGA showed that the triblock copolymers underwent stepwise thermal degradation and had better thermal stability than their respective homopolymers, whereas DSC analyses showed that a microphase‐separation structure was formed only in the triblock copolymers with the longer PHB block. As a similar result, from wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction experimentation, the crystalline phase of PHB could not be seen evidently in the triblock copolymers with the shorter PHB block. The enzymatic hydrolysis of the copolymer films was carried at 37 °C and pH 7.4 in a potassium phosphate buffer with an extracellular PHB depolymerase from Penicillum sp. The biodegradability of the triblock copolymers increased with an increase in the PHB block content. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 4857–4869, 2005     

固定化酵母非水相催化羰基不对称还原反应的研究

用海藻酸钙包埋法对增殖培养的酵母细胞进行了固定化,并用于催化有机溶剂中乙酰乙酸乙酯的不对称还原反应。考察了固定化时所用缓冲溶液的pH、催化剂颗粒大小与用量、辅助底物种类、底物浓度、以及重复利用批次等因素对反应产物（S）-3-羟基丁酸乙酯的浓度和光学纯度的影响。结果表明,固定化时应采用pH为7的Tris-HCL缓冲溶液,颗粒的直径以2mm左右为较佳;反应时应以正已烷为溶剂,正已醇为辅助底物,固定化酵母颗粒的最适用量为6g/20ml反应液;底物的初始浓度以100mmol/L为佳,浓度过高对反应有一定的抑制作用;固定化细胞重复利用三次对映选择性基本保持不变。     

Melt spinning of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) for tissue engineering using electron-beam-irradiated poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) as nucleation agent

Electron-beam-irradiated poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) was used as a nucleating agent for poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) in a melt-spinning process. Molecular data and thermal properties of the irradiated samples were determined. The thermal properties of the nucleated melts were determined to assess the influence of the nucleation agents, and then spinning tests were carried out. Thermal and textile properties of the spun fibers were also determined. Estimations of the improvement of the crystallization in the spinline and of the inhibition of secondary crystallization in the fibers from the use of the described blood-compatible nucleation agents are given.     

Display of functionally active PHB depolymerase on Escherichia coli cell surface

The display of PHB depolymerase (PhaZ(RpiT1) ) from R. pickettii T1 on the surface of E. coli JM109 cells is realized using OprI of P. aeruginosa as the anchoring motif. The fusion protein is stably expressed and its surface localization is verified by immunofluorescence microscopy. The displayed PhaZ(RpiT1) retains its cleaving ability for soluble substrates as well as its ability to adsorb to the PHB surface, and also remains catalycically active in the degradation of insoluble polyester materials, in spite of the possible suppression of the enzyme movement on the polymer surface. The results demonstrate that PhaZ(RpiT1) -displaying E. coli shows potential for use as a whole-cell biocatalyst for the production of (R)-3-hydroxybutyrate monomers from insoluble PHB materials.     

Melt spinning of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) fibers for tissue engineering using alpha-cyclodextrin/polymer inclusion complexes as the nucleation agent

This paper reports on an attempt to use CD and CD/PHB ICs as nucleation agents for PHB in a high-speed melt spinning process. At first rheological and thermal properties of the nucleated melts are determined in order to assess the influence of the nucleating agents. Then spinning tests are carried out. Thermal and textile properties of the spun PHB fibers are also determined. An estimation of the improvement of inhibition of the secondary crystallization from use of the described blood compatible nucleating agents is given.     

Gas Chromatographic Determination of Poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate) with Alkaline Hydrolysis and Acid Esterification

Abstract

A new pretreatment method for the gas chromatographic determination of poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) was developed based on a combination of alkaline hydrolysis and acid esterification. The determination principle is as follows: PHB is hydrolyzed to its monomer 3‐hydroxybutyrate by alkaline solution, followed by the esterification with methanol to generate the methyl ester of 3‐hydroxybutyrate catalyzed by acid, which is detected by a gas chromatography. From the comparison of effects of alkali and acid on PHB hydrolysis and 3‐hydroxybutyrate esterification, alkali resulted in a better performance for the hydrolysis, while acid was better for the esterification. The pretreatment conditions for PHB were optimized and the determination performance was characterized.     

Effect of aging on fractional crystallization of poly(ethylene oxide) component in poly(ethylene oxide)/poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate) blends

The effect of aging on the fractional crystallization of the poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) component in the PEO/poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) blend has been investigated. The partial miscibility of the PEO/PHB blends with high PEO molecular weight (M_v = 2.0 × 10⁵ g/mol) was confirmed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis. The fractional crystallization behavior of the PEO component in the PEO/PHB blends with low PEO content (not more than 30 wt% of PEO), before and after aging under vacuum at 25 °C for 6 months, were compared by DSC, fourier transform infrared microscopic spectroscopy, small angle X‐ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy. It was confirmed that nearly all the PEO components remain trapped within interlamellar regions of PHB for the PEO/PHB blends before aging. Under this condition, the crystallization of PEO is basically induced by much less active heterogeneities or homogeneous nucleation at high supercoolings. While, after the same PEO/PHB samples were stored at 25 °C in vacuum for 6 months, a part of the PEO component was expelled from the interlamellar region of PHB. Under this condition, the expelled PEO forms many separate domains with bigger size and crystallizes at low supercoolings by active heterogeneous nucleation, whereas the crystallization of PEO in the interlamellar region is still mainly induced by less active heterogeneities or homogeneous nucleation at extreme supercoolings. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 43: 2665–2676, 2005