Atacticpolystyrene,oneofthemostwidelyusedchemicalproducts,wassubjectedtonovelchemicallyoxidative treatmentsabletotriggeragreatvarietyofphysicalandchemicalchangesinthepolymer’schains.Theoxidized polystyrenesamples,whenanalyzedwithFouriertransforminfraredspectroscopy(FTIR)clearlyshowedthe formationofcarbonylgroupsandhydroxylgroups,whichincreasedwiththeincreaseinthestrengthofchemically oxidativetreatments. In fungaldegradationtestsdeploying Curvularia species,thefunguscolonizedtheoxidizedsampleswithin9weeks. Colonizationwasconfirmedbymicroscopicexamination,whichshowedthatthehyphaehadadheredtoand penetratedthepolymer’sstructureinallthetreatedsamples.Suchcolonizationandadhesionbymicroorganismsarea fundamentalprerequisiteforbiodegradationofpolymers.
Utilization of chemically-oxidized polystyrene as co-substrate by filamentous fungi
MOTTA, ORIANA;PROTO, Antonio;DE CARO, Francesco;SANTORO, EMANUELA;CAPUNZO, Mario
2009
Abstract
Atacticpolystyrene,oneofthemostwidelyusedchemicalproducts,wassubjectedtonovelchemicallyoxidative treatmentsabletotriggeragreatvarietyofphysicalandchemicalchangesinthepolymer’schains.Theoxidized polystyrenesamples,whenanalyzedwithFouriertransforminfraredspectroscopy(FTIR)clearlyshowedthe formationofcarbonylgroupsandhydroxylgroups,whichincreasedwiththeincreaseinthestrengthofchemically oxidativetreatments. In fungaldegradationtestsdeploying Curvularia species,thefunguscolonizedtheoxidizedsampleswithin9weeks. Colonizationwasconfirmedbymicroscopicexamination,whichshowedthatthehyphaehadadheredtoand penetratedthepolymer’sstructureinallthetreatedsamples.Suchcolonizationandadhesionbymicroorganismsarea fundamentalprerequisiteforbiodegradationofpolymers.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
