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Scientists synthesize biodegradable nylon precursor through artificial photosynthesis

Nylon, the durable and elastic material, is like other plastics made from chemicals found in fossil fuels. Biodegradable plastics based on biomass-derived compounds are attracting attention as an alternative to conventional plastics, and Osaka Metropolitan University scientists have now synthesized biodegradable nylon precursors.

Professor Yutaka Amao's team at the Research Center for Artificial Photosynthesis previously reported on a method for producing raw materials for biodegradable plastics from biomass-derived compounds. A polyester-type biodegradable plastic could be formed by using L-lactic acid as the raw material for polylactic acid.

This time, by using L-alanine, an amino acid with a similar structure, the team created raw material for a nylon-type biodegradable plastic. The findings were in Sustainable Energy & Fuels.

Artificial photosynthesis technology was developed with the addition of the biocatalyst L-alanine dehydrogenase, which combines ammonia with pyruvate to produce L-alanine, to the photoredox system composed of a dye and a catalyst.

"We have also succeeded in synthesizing the precursor of biodegradable nylon poly-L-alanine using solar energy," Professor Amao said.

"In the future, we hope to achieve the synthesis of nylon precursors that have a low impact on the environment, with the aim of producing L-alanine through artificial photosynthesis using ammonia derived from biomass compounds."