Bacterial polyhydroxybutyrate for electrospun fiber production

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Microbiology

Background:

• Electrospun nano- and microfibers offer versatile applications.
• Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are microbial biopolymers, with poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) synthesized by Burkholderia xenovorans LB400 from glucose.
• Bacterial PHBs present a sustainable alternative for fiber production.

Purpose of the Study:

• To produce and characterize electrospun fibers from bacterial PHBs.
• To investigate the impact of different carbon sources on PHB fiber properties.
• To explore potential applications of PHB-based microfibers.

Main Methods:

• Cultivation of Burkholderia xenovorans LB400 using xylose and mannitol as carbon sources.
• Production of PHB biopolymer films.
• Electrospinning of PHB films into microfibers.
• Analysis of microfiber diameter and morphology via Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM).
• Investigation of thermogravimetric properties.

Main Results:

• Bead-free PHB microfibers with diameters under 3μm were successfully produced.
• SEM analysis revealed distinct surface morphologies for PHB fibers derived from xylose versus mannitol.
• Thermogravimetric properties of the PHB fibers were similar regardless of the carbon source.
• Carbon source significantly influences the surface structure of bacterial PHB fibers.

Conclusions:

• Bacterial PHB can be electrospun into uniform microfibers.
• The choice of carbon source impacts the surface morphology of PHB microfibers.
• Further research into physicochemical and mechanical properties is warranted for novel applications.