[2PS-052]
Design of Amphiphilic Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) for Biodegradable Surfactant Applications
발표자정윤희 (포항공과대학교)
연구책임자황동수 (포항공과대학교)
Abstract
Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are biodegradable, biocompatible polymers with strong potential for sustainable material systems. In this work, PHAs were modified via transesterification to introduce hydrophilic units—polyethylene glycol, polyglycerol, and carbohydrates—onto the hydrophobic backbone. NMR confirmed successful conjugation, and surface tension measurements indicated reduced surface energy compared with unmodified PHA. To assess surfactant functionality, emulsions were prepared using the modified PHAs via bulk mixing, followed by nanoparticle formation through microfluidization without additional surfactants. Dynamic light scattering revealed nanoparticles with narrow, uniform size distributions. These results highlight amphiphilic PHA surfactants as efficient emulsion stabilizers and promising candidates for biodegradable and biocompatible systems in biomedical and cosmetic applications.