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Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Chemistry (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany)

Improving the Mechanical Properties of Biodegradable Polyhydroxyalkanoates via PHA–PHA Block‐Copolymer Synthesis

  • Katrin Blandine Kockler1
  • Paul Lant1
  • Steven Pratt1
  • Bronwyn Laycock1
  1. 1School of Chemical Engineering The University of Queensland Brisbane Queensland Australia
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Abstract

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are materials of high interest due to being bacterially synthesized and biodegradable in a variety of environments. Yet the most commonly available PHAs still lack the mechanical properties needed to truly replace a wide range of nondegradable plastics. Poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate) (P3HB) and its copolymer poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate‐co‐3‐hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) exhibit high tensile strength and modulus. However, their high crystallinity leads to a lack of toughness and especially elongation, resulting in a relatively stiff and brittle material. By contrast, the copolymerization product of 3‐hydroxybutyrate (3HB) and 4‐hydroxybutyrate (4HB)—poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate‐co‐4‐hydroxybutyrate) (P3HB4HB)—shows a considerable improvement in elongation at break at higher 4HB contents, but lacks tensile strength and toughness, leading to a ductile but weak material. By coupling these very different PHAs together as a block copolymer, we have produced novel materials with significantly improved toughness compared to the homopolymers as well as comparable blends thereof, with an elongation at break of 630% and a toughness of 52 MJ/m3, more than tripling previously reported results for PHA–PHA block‐copolymers. Such attractive properties, comparable to those of commercial nondegradable thin film plastics, point to the potential for use of these biodegradable block copolymers in film applications.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{kockler2026improving,
  title = {{Improving the Mechanical Properties of Biodegradable Polyhydroxyalkanoates via PHA–PHA Block‐Copolymer Synthesis}},
  author = {Katrin Blandine Kockler and Paul Lant and Steven Pratt and Bronwyn Laycock},
  journal = {Chemistry (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany)},
  year = {2026},
  month = jul,
  doi = {10.1002/chem.71303},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/chem.71303},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Improving the Mechanical Properties of Biodegradable Polyhydroxyalkanoates via PHA–PHA Block‐Copolymer Synthesis
AU  - Katrin Blandine Kockler
AU  - Paul Lant
AU  - Steven Pratt
AU  - Bronwyn Laycock
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/07/09
JO  - Chemistry (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany)
DO  - 10.1002/chem.71303
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1002/chem.71303
AB  - Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are materials of high interest due to being bacterially synthesized and biodegradable in a variety of environments. Yet the most commonly available PHAs still lack the mechanical properties needed to truly replace a wide range of nondegradable plastics. Poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate) (P3HB) and its copolymer poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate‐co‐3‐hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) exhibit high tensile strength and modulus. However, their high crystallinity leads to a lack of toughness and especially elongation, resulting in a relatively stiff and brittle material. By contrast, the copolymerization product of 3‐hydroxybutyrate (3HB) and 4‐hydroxybutyrate (4HB)—poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate‐co‐4‐hydroxybutyrate) (P3HB4HB)—shows a considerable improvement in elongation at break at higher 4HB contents, but lacks tensile strength and toughness, leading to a ductile but weak material. By coupling these very different PHAs together as a block copolymer, we have produced novel materials with significantly improved toughness compared to the homopolymers as well as comparable blends thereof, with an elongation at break of 630% and a toughness of 52 MJ/m3, more than tripling previously reported results for PHA–PHA block‐copolymers. Such attractive properties, comparable to those of commercial nondegradable thin film plastics, point to the potential for use of these biodegradable block copolymers in film applications.
SN  - 0947-6539
SN  - 1521-3765
ER  -