Research Projects

To maintain hygiene and prevent spoilage of essential daily-use materials, including both consumables (e.g., food, vegetables, fruits, dairy products, and meat) and non-consumables (e.g., soap, detergents, medicinal, and cosmetic products), appropriate packaging is essential. Currently, polyethylene (PE) is the most widely used packaging material for products in various quantities, ranging from a few grams to several kilograms, due to its ability to protect and facilitate transport. However, due to its strong hydrophobicity and chemical inertness, PE poses significant challenges in terms of degradation into non-toxic, simpler products. As a result, several countries, including India, have imposed bans on the use of single-use PE plastics. In response to this issue, we propose the development of biodegradable and biocompatible packaging materials based on polyester and polyamide polymers, utilizing widely available and well-established biocompatible building blocks. The primary objective is to synthesize both linear and cross-linked polyesters, polyamides, and their block and random copolymers via well-known condensation polymerization techniques. To achieve the desired material properties, the polymer structure will be optimized through the incorporation of various biocompatible chain cross-linkers and chain-terminating agents. The packaging films will be fabricated by incorporating appropriate plasticizers and fillers to enhance their processability and mechanical performance. The biodegradability of the films will be evaluated in both soil and ambient aquatic environments to assess their environmental impact. Additionally, the degradation of these materials will be studied under controlled experimental conditions using alkaline and acidic hydrolysis, and the degradation products will be analyzed through various microscopic and spectroscopic techniques. Furthermore, we will investigate the biocompatibility of the synthesized materials by subjecting them to a feeding study using the model organism Drosophila melanogaster, which will provide insights into the potential environmental and health impacts of the proposed biodegradable packaging materials.