Scientific Project Structure
Work Package (WP) 1:
In WP1 the consortium will design new routes to produce reagents using renewable sources such as CO2, monomers from the biomass or monomers from polymer recycling, as well as small biobased molecules that can act as nucleating agents for polyesters (Ma+D, UMons and UNIGE).
Work Package 2:
In WP2 the monomers from renewable sources prepared in WP1 will be polymerized to obtain biodegradable polyesters and copolyesters using sustainable polymerization, such as bulk polymerization conditions, organocatalysts and/or polymerization processes which does not generate any waste to the environment (UBirmingham, UMons, UTulane and POLYMAT).
Work Package 3:
In order to compete with commercially available plastics, in WP3 a thorough characterization of the polyesters and copolyesters synthesized in this project will be required to get a better understanding of the properties structure relationship (POLYMAT, USB, UNIGE, UYamagata and ICCAS). In the case of semi-crystalline polyesters and co-polyesters, their nucleation and crystallization kinetics will be studied in detail by these researcher teams, as well as the influence of additives such as nucleating agents or biobased nanofillers.
Work Package 4:
In WP4, the possibility of substituting traditional oil based polymers like polyethylene and polypropylene by biodegradable alternatives in fields like packaging, water bottles and plastic bags will be explored. In this sense, polyester based blends and nanocomposites will be prepared and studied (POLYMAT, USB, ICCAS and UNIGE). Additionally, it is expected that the new polyesters to be synthesized in this project could find applications in nanomedicine due to their biodegradability and the utilization of “green” polymerization methods.
Work Package 5:
Some of the synthesized polymers for WP5 will be especial polymers that can be self-assembled and will be studied in drug delivery applications (UBirmingham and UStellenbosch). Finally, the project also aims at producing polyesters and copolyesters that can be applied in the tissue engineering field. Scaffolds will be prepared and their biocompatibility will be studied (UBirmingham and UStellenbosch).