Harnessing extremophilic carboxylesterases for applications in polyester depolymerisation and plastic waste recycling.

ABSTRACT: The steady growth in industrial production of synthetic plastics and their limited recycling have resulted in severe environmental pollution and contribute to global warming and oil depletion. Currently, there is an urgent need to develop efficient plastic recycling technologies to prevent further environmental pollution and recover chemical feedstocks for polymer re-synthesis and upcycling in a circular economy. Enzymatic depolymerization of synthetic polyesters by microbial carboxylesterases provides an attractive addition to existing mechanical and chemical recycling technologies due to enzyme specificity, low energy consumption, and mild reaction conditions. Carboxylesterases constitute a diverse group of serine-dependent hydrolases catalysing the cleavage and formation of ester bonds.

SUBMITTER: Williams GB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10423841 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature