Thermo-oxidative destruction and biodegradation of nanomaterials from composites of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) and chitosan

A complex of structure-sensitive methods of morphology analysis was applied to study film materials obtained from blends of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) and chitosan (CHT) by pouring from a solution, and nonwoven fibrous materials obtained by the method of electrospinning (ES). It was found that with the addition of CHT to PHB, a heterophase system with a nonequilibrium stressed structure at the interface was formed. This system, if undergone accelerated oxidation and hydrolysis, contributed to the intensification of the growth of microorganisms. On the other hand, the antimicrobial properties of CHT led to inhibition of the biodegradation process. Nonwoven nanofiber materials, since having a large specific surface area of contact with an aggressive agent, demonstrated an increased ability to be thermo-oxidative and for biological degradation in comparison with film materials. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland