Built to last or break down: Ring size tunes biodegradable plastic lifetimes

Biodegradable plastics should be tough enough for use yet able to break down at an appropriate rate afterward. Researchers at the University of Osaka show that changing the size of rings threaded onto a biodegradable polymer can tune both its toughness and enzymatic degradation, offering a way to design material lifetimes. The study is published in ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering.