Novel precursors for production of 3-hydroxyvalerate-containing poly[(R)-hydroxyalkanoate]s

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) with tailored properties are needed to meet consumer demands regarding the use of eco-compatible biobased polymeric materials and relevant plastic items. Inserting 3-hydroxvalerate (3HV) monomeric units in PHA biopolyesters results in poly[(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate-co-(R)-3-hydroxyvalerate] (PHBHV) copolyesters aimed at their conversion into production of biodegradable eco-friendly plastic items. As inexpensive novel precursor substrate structurally related to 3HV, a mixture of odd-numbered carboxylic acids with 9-17 carbon atoms was produced by oxidative ozonolysis of alkenes. This mixture was successfully applied for biomediated PHBHV production by Cupriavidus necator. Applying this mixture as carbon substrate, a molar 3HV fraction exceeding 0.12 was obtained. The isolated copolyesters featured a low degree of crystallinity, narrow molar mass distribution, and low melting temperatures. These properties should make application of the novel 3HV-precursors interesting for large-scale production of easily processable copolyesters.