title: Enzymatic hydrolysis of poly(ethylene furanoate).
abstract: The urgency of producing new environmentally-friendly polyesters strongly enhanced the development of bio-based poly(ethylene furanoate) (PEF) as an alternative to plastics like poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) for applications that include food packaging, personal and home care containers and thermoforming equipment. In this study, PEF powders of various molecular weights (6, 10 and 40kDa) were synthetized and their susceptibility to enzymatic hydrolysis was investigated for the first time. According to LC/TOF-MS analysis, cutinase 1 from Thermobifida cellulosilytica liberated both 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid and oligomers of up to DP4. The enzyme preferentially hydrolyzed PEF with higher molecular weights but was active on all tested substrates. Mild enzymatic hydrolysis of PEF has a potential both for surface functionalization and monomers recycling.
authors: BOKU-University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Institute for Environmental Biotechnology, Konrad Lorenz Strasse 20, 3430, Tulln an der Donau, Austria. Electronic address: alessandro.pellis@boku.ac.at.
authors: Alessandro
authors: A
authors: Pellis
authors: ACIB-Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology GmbH, Konrad Lorenz Strasse 20, 3430, Tulln an der Donau, Austria.
authors: Karolina
authors: K
authors: Haernvall
authors: Graz University of Technology, Institute of Organic Chemistry, Stremayrgasse 9, 8010 Graz, Austria.
authors: Christian M
authors: CM
authors: Pichler
authors: Department of Materials, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH Zurich), Polymer Technology, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 5, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland; Laboratory for Biointerfaces, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa), Lerchenfeldstrasse 5, 9014 St. Gallen, Switzerland.
authors: Gagik
authors: G
authors: Ghazaryan
authors: Graz University of Technology, Institute of Organic Chemistry, Stremayrgasse 9, 8010 Graz, Austria.
authors: Rolf
authors: R
authors: Breinbauer
authors: BOKU-University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Institute for Environmental Biotechnology, Konrad Lorenz Strasse 20, 3430, Tulln an der Donau, Austria; ACIB-Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology GmbH, Konrad Lorenz Strasse 20, 3430, Tulln an der Donau, Austria.
authors: Georg M
authors: GM
authors: Guebitz
mesh_terms: D039903:Actinobacteria / Q000201:enzymology; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D002265:Carboxylic Ester Hydrolases / Q000378:metabolism*; D003998:Dicarboxylic Acids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D005663:Furans / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D006868:Hydrolysis; D011095:Polyethylenes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D003998:Dicarboxylic Acids; D005663:Furans; D011095:Polyethylenes; C551400:2,5-furandicarboxylic acid; D002265:Carboxylic Ester Hydrolases; C019952:cutinase; C039281:furan
keywords: Biocatalyst; Enzymatic functionalization; Enzymatic hydrolysis; Poly(ethylene furanoate) (PEF); Polyester recycling; Thermobifida cellulosilytica cutinase 1 (Thc_Cut1)