Synthesis and characterization of poly(3-hydroxyalkanoates) from Brassica carinata oil with high content of erucic acid and from very long chain fatty acids (original) (raw)
Very long chain fatty acids (VLCFA), longer than C20, were employed for the production of medium chain length poly(3- hydroxyalkanoates) (mcl-PHA) by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In order to keep the production costs low, Brassica carinata oil (erucic acid average content 35 - 48%) was employed as the intact triglyceride containing VLCFA. As free fatty acids erucic acid (C22:1) and nervonic acid (C24:1) were employed. Weight average molecular weight, determined by GPC, varied from 56000 for PHA from B. carinata oil to about 120000 for those from erucic and nervonic acids. Monomeric units composition was obtained by GC analysis while the structural characterization was performed by 1H- and 13C-NMR. The 3-hydroxyacids making up the repeating units of such polymers were saturated and unsaturated, with a higher content of the latter in the case of PHAs obtained from B. carinata oil. ESI MS of partially pyrolysed samples allowed the identification of oligomers up to heptamers and statistical analysis of the ion intensity in the mass spectra showed that these PHAs are random copolymers. The PHAs from erucic and nervonic acids were partially crystalline, with rubbery characteristics and a melting point (Tm) of 50 ◦C, while the increase of unsaturation degree in the repeating units of PHA from B. carinata oil afforded a totally amorphous material, with a glass transition temperature (Tg) of -47 ◦C.
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