Virginia Tech researchers develop strong, flexible biodegradable plastic

Researchers at Virginia Tech have developed a new method to rearrange molecular building blocks to create a biodegradable plastic that is simultaneously strong, tough, and flexible.

By closing polymer chains into rings and controlling the specific sequence of building blocks within those rings, the team created cyclic polyesters. This unique molecular architecture allows the material to overcome the traditional trade-off where increased strength often leads to brittleness. According to study leader Rong Tong, this control over form and sequence enables the production of materials that possess high strength, toughness, flexibility, and effective oxygen barriers, making them potentially suitable for long-term packaging applications.