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Biodegradation of Poly-ε-caprolactones and Poly-l-lactides by Fungi

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Abstract

This work assessed biodegradation, by Aspergillus, Fusarium, Penicillium and Parengyodontium fungi, of four samples of poly-ε-caprolactone (PCL), three samples of poly-l-lactide (PLA) and one sample of poly-d,l-lactide (DL-PLA) produced by ring-opening polymerization initiated by aluminium complexes of corresponding lactones. Mesophilic fungal strains actively biodegrading PCL (F. solani) and PLA (Parengyodontium album and A. calidoustus) were selected. The rate of degradation by the selected fungi was found to depend on the physicochemical and mechanical properties of the polymers (molecular weight, polydispersity, crystallinity). The most degradable poly-ε-caprolactone sample was shown to have the lowest molecular weight; the most biodegradable polylactide DL-PLA had the lowest crystallinity. Mass spectral analysis of biodegraded polymer residues showed PCL to be degraded more intensively than PLA. It is established that in the case of Parengyodontium album the colonization of the films of polypropylene composites with DL-PLA is observed, which will undoubtedly contribute to their further destruction under the influence of abiotic factors in the environment.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Dr. V.A. Korolkov (N.D. Zelinsky Institute of Organic Chemistry RAS, Moscow, Russia) for mass-spectral data. This work was supported partially by M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University Program of Development and G.K. Skryabin Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms RAS.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. G.K. Skryabin Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushchino, Moscow Region, 142290, Russian Federation

    Tatiana V. Antipova, Valentina P. Zhelifonova, Anastasiya A. Danilogorskaya & Anatoly G. Kozlovsky

  2. Department of Chemistry, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russian Federation

    Kirill V. Zaitsev

  3. N.N. Semenov Institute of Chemical Physics, Russian Academy of Science, 4 Kosygin Str., Moscow, 119991, Russian Federation

    Polina M. Nedorezova, Alexander M. Aladyshev & Alla N. Klyamkina

  4. Research Institute for Physical Chemical Problems, Belarusian State University, 14 Leningradskaya Str., Minsk, 220030, Belarus

    Sergey V. Kostyuk

Authors
  1. Tatiana V. Antipova
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  2. Valentina P. Zhelifonova
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  3. Kirill V. Zaitsev
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  4. Polina M. Nedorezova
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  5. Alexander M. Aladyshev
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  6. Alla N. Klyamkina
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  7. Sergey V. Kostyuk
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  8. Anastasiya A. Danilogorskaya
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  9. Anatoly G. Kozlovsky
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Correspondence to Tatiana V. Antipova.

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Antipova, T.V., Zhelifonova, V.P., Zaitsev, K.V. et al. Biodegradation of Poly-ε-caprolactones and Poly-l-lactides by Fungi. J Polym Environ 26, 4350–4359 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10924-018-1307-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10924-018-1307-3

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