Thermally triggerable composite material for controlled decomposition of biodegradable substrate

Abstract

As industries have grown and life has become more convenient, soil and marine pollution caused by trash, such as garbage islands and microplastic pollution, has become a huge problem. Worldwide efforts to reduce waste generation through regulation of plastic use and waste recycling are continuing as a trend toward sustainable development. Based on the great advantage of being naturally degradable, biodegradable materials are attracting attention as a substitute for disposable plastic and being actively researched in the field of device material, bio material, and clothing. However, the decomposition rate of biodegradable materials is affected by various factors such as presence of microorganisms, temperature, and pH, and varies greatly depending on the surrounding environment. Therefore, it is hard for materials to decompose in a short period of time when disposed in the natural environment. In this research, we introduce a thermally triggerable composite material system using difference in coefficient of thermal expansion for controlled decomposition of biodegradable substrate. A biodegradation triggering layer is fabricated by combining thermally triggerable layer, which is composed of polycaprolactone (PCL) and silica, and fungal spores encapsulated as a primary protection layer. Triggering ability of the fabricated film is confirmed through structure analysis and agar plate experiment before and after thermal stimulus.