Self-healing biodegradable polymers

Recently, the interest for biodegradable polymers, employed in packaging, agriculture, medicine and other areas, has raised as a consequence of the need to counter the environmental pollution caused by synthetic plastics. Biodegradability has been included into polymers in everyday use through slight modifications of their structures. In this context, the new biodegradable highly amorphous vinylalcohol (HAVOH) polymer based on the modified poly-vinyl-alcohol (PVOH), patented and commercialized with the trade name of G-Polymer (Nippon-Goshei, Japan) is a noteworthy example. This material shows excellent characteristics, such as high-water solubility, good rheology for extrudability (low melting temperature, low melt tension, ease of extrusion, orientation, transparency) and remarkable gas barrier properties, which have allowed its wide use. This work proposes the preparation of a self-healing HAVOH-based film obtained by incorporating the Murexide compound which acts as auto-repair agent due to its ability to boost up self-healing mechanisms, based on supramolecular chemistry, inside the polymeric matrix. This biodegradable eco-friendly material is potentially suitable for different industrial applications, such as coating or food and biomedical packaging.