Enzymatic hydrolysis of poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) by Fusarium solani cutinase

The degradation behavior of poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) films by Fusarium solani cutinase (FsC) applied at different concentrations was inves-tigated. The degraded PBAT films were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and thermogravimetry. The results showed that FsC was able to degrade not only the amorphous region but also the crystalline region of PBAT films. The PBAT degradation activity of FsC was concentration-dependent. After a reaction time of 120 h, the weight loss of PBAT films degraded by FsC of a high con-centration reached 76%, and to a significant extent, the surface of the film was degraded and the crystallinity decreased. In contrast, when FsC was present in a low concentration, its degradation effect on PBAT films was less apparent. The thermal stability of PBAT showed a decreasing trend with the extension of FsC hydrolysis time. Although the production of monomers and oligomers during the hydrolysis of PBAT by different concentrations of FsC was significantly different, the products were identical after 120 h of hydrolysis. In addition, FsC concentration and degradation time had no significant effect on the molecular weight of degraded PBAT.