Aqueous-Based Assembly of Plant-Derived Proteins Yields a Crosslinker-Free Biodegradable Bioplastic Consistent with Green Chemistry Principles.

ABSTRACT: Plastics are an indispensable part of modern life. Due to the harmful environmental consequences of petroleum-based plastic usage, there is an urgent need to replace them with biodegradable bioplastics that meet the sustainability standards required for a low environmental footprint. Here, we use plant-derived proteins to produce bioplastics. Since most plant-derived proteins are not water-soluble, there has always been a need to use acidic or basic solutions or organic solvents with plasticizers and crosslinkers to produce bioplastic. Here, we present a counterintuitive approach for using water-insoluble plant-derived soy and pea proteins to manufacture large-scale bioplastics using only water as a solvent without common plasticizers or crosslinkers. We show that bioplastics can form via

SUBMITTER: Sarkar AK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11884229 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature