POS9-0086
Thermal Protection of Proteinase K via Silica Nanoparticle Immobilization and Trehalose Encapsulation for Accelerated PLA Biodegradation
Topic
S9. Polymer Technology for Sustainability
When and Where
Sep 30, 2026
08:30 - 09:30
Room 301 (Grand Ballroom)
Session Chairs
Heesuk KIM
Jinhye BAE
Presenter(s)
Youngjin Kim (Kyung Hee University)
Co-Author(s)
Abstract
Enhancing the biodegradation rate of polylactic acid (PLA) has emerged as a key focus in sustainable polymer research. To achieve this, many studies have embedded enzymes into the polymer matrix. However, the biggest challenge of this approach is enzyme deactivation caused by high-temperature exposure during polymer processing. Therefore, protecting the enzyme from thermal stress is a critical task. In this study, we propose a strategy to protect Proteinase K (PK), a prominent PLA-degrading enzyme, by immobilizing it on silica nanoparticles (SiNPs). This immobilization is driven by electrostatic adsorption. Subsequently, the system is treated with trehalose to maintain the dispersibility of the SiNPs and prevent enzyme denaturation caused by structural unfolding. During the freeze-drying process, trehalose replaces water molecules on the surfaces of SiNPs and PK, and undergoes vitrification to firmly encapsulate and stabilize the silica-enzyme complex. Furthermore, we expect that after disposal, the preferential degradation of saccharide-based trehalose creates pathways that reduce the induction time of PLA, thereby accelerating its biodegradation. Ultimately, this study provides a novel enzyme-protection platform that overcomes thermal deactivation during processing and accelerates the biodegradation of PLA composites.
