Research – Burkart Lab – UC San Diego

Sustainable Plastics Research Overview:

Algae-based, Biodegradable Plastics

My PhD research focuses on the development of TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) monomers from algae (a sustainable and renewable resource).

Industrial Scalability – Flow Chemistry

Since I want my science to be used industrially, I am developing flow chemistry methods that use environmentally friendly reactants and processes to ensure scalability.

Comprehensive End-of-Life Plastic Testing

Plastic pollution is a global crises and in the U.S. plastics are only minimally regulated, if at all. I am developing high throughput testing methods to ensure that our (and other) developed plastics meet stringent biodegradability, ecotoxicity, and microplastic standards.

Background

Plastic pollution is a huge environmental and health crisis.

99% of plastics are made from fossil fuels, the plastic recycling rate is only 9%, and only 1-2% of plastics are biodegradable.

My PhD research addresses the plastic crises by creating monomers for polyester thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPUs), a compostable plastic, from sustainable and renewable sources, like algal and waste hemp oils.

Figure: Polyester thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) synthesis. A large portion of my research focuses on the synthesis of the monomers, with a focus on diacids.

Monomer Generation

To make a polyester TPU, you need a diacid, a diol (/chain extender), and a diisocyanate.

My focus is on diacids because they are versatile and can be easily converted to the diol and diisocyanate components.

*Halloran, M. W.; Hudecek, C.; Burkart, M. D. Org. Process Res. Dev. 2023

*Rajput, B.S., et. al Macromol. 2023

I focus on the synthesis of diacids from algae and other sustainable and renewable feedstocks.

Figure: Pipeline for algae-based diacids.

Flow Chemistry

Proving something can be done in lab scale is important, but what next?

To allow for my polymers to be manufactured at industrial scales, I am adopting flow chemistry techniques to allow for large-scale, continuous production of monomers.

Figure: Different types of flow chemistry reactors that I use.

High-throughput Plastic Environmental Testing

Given the growing body of research showing that plastic is pervasive across all environments and poses environmental, health, and toxicological risks, it is essential to develop methods for assessing their persistence and ecological impact that are high-throughput, affordable, and comprehensive.

Testing we are focusing on:

  • Microplastics
  • Biodegradation/Compostability
  • Ecotoxicity

Publications and Further Info

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