Disassembly and reassembly of polyhydroxyalkanoates: Recycling through abiotic depolymerization and biotic repolymerization
Open accessAbstract
An abiotic-biotic strategy for recycling of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) is evaluated. Base-catalyzed PHA depolymerization yields hydroxyacids, such as 3-hydroxybutyrate (3HB), and alkenoates, such as crotonate; catalytic thermal depolymerization yields alkenoates. Cyclic pulse addition of 3HB to triplicate bioreactors selected for an enrichment of Comamonas, Brachymonas and Acinetobacter. After each pulse, poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (P3HB) transiently appeared: accumulation of P3HB correlated with hydrolysis of polyphosphate; consumption of P3HB correlated with polyphosphate synthesis. Cells removed from the cyclic regime and incubated with 3HB under nitrogen-limited conditions produced P3HB (molecular weight>1,000,000Da) at 50% of the cell dry weight (<8h). P3HB also resulted from incubation with acetate, crotonate, or a mixture of hydrolytic depolymerization products. Poly(3-hydroxybutyric acid-co-3-hydroxyvaleric acid) (PHBV) resulted from incubation with valerate or 2-pentenoate. A recycling strategy where abiotic depolymerization of waste PHAs yields feedstock for customized PHA re-synthesis appears feasible, without the need for energy-intensive feedstock purification.
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Methanotrophic bacteria that produce PHAs can be found at wastewater treatment plants, which are often geographically close to sources of waste methane.
“The methanotrophic bacteria that produce PHAs can be found at wastewater treatment plants, which are often geographically close to sources of waste methane.375,381,382”
From Catalysis as an Enabling Science for Sustainable Polymers (2018) · cites this paper as [375]
Catalytic pyrolysis using Mg(OH)2 as the catalyst was used to recycle a variety of short- and medium-chain length PHAs and proved the utility of the recovered monomers as feedstocks for microbial synthesis of PHAs.
“This catalytic pyrolysis strategy (using Mg(OH)2 as the catalyst) was used to recycle a variety of short-and medium-chain length PHAs and further proved the utility of the recovered monomers as feedstocks for the microbial synthesis of PHAs.375,381”
From Catalysis as an Enabling Science for Sustainable Polymers (2018) · cites this paper as [375]
Chemical recycling of PHAs to the constituent monomers can provide a time-efficient option.
“While the closed-loop recycling of PHA can be realized by several biotic pathways 463,464 , the chemical recycling of PHAs to the constituent monomers can provide a time-efficient option.375”
From Catalysis as an Enabling Science for Sustainable Polymers (2018) · cites this paper as [375]
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References 35 · Cited by 56
- Authors
- Myung, J., Strong, N. I., Galega, W. M., Sundstrom, E. R., Flanagan, J. C. A., Woo, S.-G., Waymouth, R. M., & Criddle, C. S.
- Affiliations
- Stanford University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Criddle, Craig S.
- Venue
- Bioresource Technology
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2014-10
- Volume
- 170
- Pages
- 167-174
- ISSN
- 0960-8524 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2047392202
- Cited by
- 56
- References
- 35
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 3
- FWCI
- 1.14
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Bioresource Technology (acceptedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- OSTI OAI (U.S. Department of Energy Office of Scientific and Technical Information) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Chevron
- Exxon Mobil
- Samsung Scholarship
- STX Overseas Scholarship
- NASA (NNX12AK86G)
- California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) (07T3451)
- Department of Energy (DOE DESC0005430)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Materials Science › Biomaterials › biodegradable polymer synthesis and properties
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Pollution › Microbial bioremediation and biosurfactants
- Physical Sciences › Materials Science › Polymers and Plastics › Polymer crystallization and properties
- Keywords
- polyhydroxyalkanoates, polyhydroxybutyrate, depolymerization, thermal depolymerization, beta-hydroxybutyrate, polyphosphate hydrolysis, polyphosphate synthesis, Comamonas, Acinetobacter, nitrogen limitation, acetate, crotonate, valerate, biodegradable plastics
- MeSH terms
- Biotechnology, Crotonates, Hot Temperature, Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry, Models, Biological, Polyphosphates, Molecular Structure, Bioreactors, 3-Hydroxybutyric Acid, Polyhydroxyalkanoates, Polymerization, Recycling
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