In this proof of concept study we demonstrate direct utilization of limonene containing waste product orange peel as starting material for a biocatalytic cascade reaction. The product of this cascade is chiral carvolactone, a promising building block for thermoplastic polymers. Four different concepts were applied to augment limonene availability based on either water extraction solely, additio...

Nearly 95% of monomers or chemical intermediates used today are based on fossilized carbon such as coal and petroleum. This has resulted in a high rate of depletion of fossilized reserves, continuous escalation in petroleum prices, environmental impact with the increase in emission of greenhouse gases, and accumulation of non-biodegradable waste on earth. Current global main challenges are movi...

Introduction Graft copolymerization is one of the most promising technique uses to modify the properties of naturally available polymers with a minimum loss in their native characteristics. Methods and Materials Graft copolymerization is a very significant technique to add hybrid properties in backbone of polymers. The grafting generally initiated through the formation of free radical centers...

In this study, we evaluated the growth of Pleurotus ostreatus PLO6 using oxo-biodegradable plastics as a carbon and energy source. Oxo-biodegradable polymers contain pro-oxidants that accelerate their physical and biological degradation. These polymers were developed to decrease the accumulation of plastic waste in landfills. To study the degradation of the plastic polymers, oxo-biodegradable p...

Biodegradable plastics are those that can be completely degraded in landfills, composters or sewage treatment plants by the action of naturally occurring micro-organisms. Truly biodegradable plastics leave no toxic, visible or distinguishable residues following degradation. Their biodegradability contrasts sharply with most petroleum-based plastics, which are essentially indestructible in a bio...

Expansion of urban populations, increased coverage of domestic water supply and sewerage give rise to greater quantities of municipal wastewater. With the current emphasis on environmental health and water pollution issues, there is an increasing discharge of waste water in developing countries. Present technologies in developing countries for treating waste water are not sufficient and cost ef...

Recently, the demands for the production of many different types of plastic wastes are greatly growing that subsequently, lead to the serious challenges in environmental considerations. Since, these materials are rarely resolved by microorganisms, hence, their recycling to the useful materials is crucial. In the present study, we used a solution electrospinning technique to synthesize nano/micr...

The hydrolysis rate coefficients of sorted municipal waste were evaluated from the biochemical methane potential tests using non-linear regression. A distributed mathematical model of anaerobic digestion of rich (food) and lean (non-food) solid wastes with greatly different rates of polymer hydrolysis/acidogenesis was developed to describe the balance between the rates of hydrolysis/acidogenesi...