Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 22, 2026

Fabricating Superhydrophobic Polymeric Materials for Biomedical Applications
09:22

Fabricating Superhydrophobic Polymeric Materials for Biomedical Applications

Published on: August 28, 2015

Biosynthesis and characterization of hydroxybutyrate-hydroxycaproate copolymers

K P Caballero1, S F Karel, R A Register

  • 1Department of Chemical Engineering, Princeton University, NJ 08544, USA.

International Journal of Biological Macromolecules
|April 1, 1995
PubMed
Summary

Researchers developed novel hydroxybutyrate-rich polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) with minor hydroxycaproate (HC) or hydroxyoctanoate (HO) units. These unique copolymers exhibit a reduced melting point while retaining crystallinity, enhancing their potential as melt-processible thermoplastics.

More Related Videos

Self-assembling Morphologies Obtained from Helical Polycarbodiimide Copolymers and Their Triazole Derivatives09:22

Self-assembling Morphologies Obtained from Helical Polycarbodiimide Copolymers and Their Triazole Derivatives

Published on: February 7, 2017

Synthesis of Monodisperse Cylindrical Nanoparticles via Crystallization-driven Self-assembly of Biodegradable Block Copolymers11:42

Synthesis of Monodisperse Cylindrical Nanoparticles via Crystallization-driven Self-assembly of Biodegradable Block Copolymers

Published on: June 20, 2019

Related Concept Videos

Preparation of Diols and Pinacol Rearrangement01:57

Preparation of Diols and Pinacol Rearrangement

Compounds bearing two hydroxyl groups are known as diols. When the hydroxyl groups are located on adjacent carbon atoms, the diols are called vicinal diols or glycols. Under acidic conditions, vicinal diols undergo a specific reaction called pinacol rearrangement.
The reaction begins with transferring a proton from the acid catalyst to one of the hydroxyl groups, producing an oxonium ion.
Carboxylic Acid Derivatives: Overview01:15

Carboxylic Acid Derivatives: Overview

Carboxylic acid derivatives are formed by replacing the hydroxyl group of carboxylic acids with a different functional group. The most common carboxylic acid derivatives are:
Characteristics and Nomenclature of Homopolymers01:00

Characteristics and Nomenclature of Homopolymers

Polymers that are made up of identical monomer units are called homopolymers. Only one repeating unit is involved in the construction of the homopolymer structure. For example, as depicted in Figure 1, polypropylene is a homopolymer constituted of propylene monomers. Here, the only repeating unit in the polymer chain is propylene.
Characteristics and Nomenclature of Copolymers01:24

Characteristics and Nomenclature of Copolymers

Copolymers are the products obtained from the polymerization of multiple monomer species. So, in a polymer chain itself, there can be multiple repeating units that come from different monomers. The process of synthesizing a polymer from different monomer species is called copolymerization. When two monomers are involved, the polymer is known as a bipolymer. Polymers with three and four monomers are termed terpolymers and quaterpolymers, respectively. Figure 1 depicts the copolymerization of...
Biosynthesis of Polysaccharides01:26

Biosynthesis of Polysaccharides

Polysaccharides such as glycogen and starch are synthesized from nucleoside diphosphate sugars, primarily uridine diphosphate glucose (UDPG) and adenosine diphosphate glucose (ADPG). These activated glucose donors act as key intermediates in carbohydrate metabolism and biosynthesis. UDPG primarily involves glycogen synthesis in animals and many bacteria, while ADPG plays a fundamental role in starch synthesis in plants and certain bacteria.UDPG is formed when glucose-1-phosphate reacts with...
Bioplastics01:27

Bioplastics

Bioplastics derived from microbial processes present a sustainable alternative to conventional petroleum-based plastics. Among these, polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), particularly polyhydroxybutyrates (PHBs), have emerged as prominent candidates due to their biodegradability and biocompatibility. These polymers are synthesized by a variety of bacteria, such as Cupriavidus necator and Pseudomonas putida, which naturally accumulate PHAs as intracellular carbon and energy reserves, especially under...