Mass Spectrometry Reveals Molecular Structure of Polyhydroxyalkanoates Attained by Bioconversion of Oxidized Polypropylene Waste Fragments

This study investigated the molecular structure of the polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) produced via a microbiological shake flask experiment utilizing oxidized polypropylene (PP) waste as an additional carbon source. The bacterial strain Cupriavidus necator H16 was selected as it is non-pathogenic, genetically stable, robust, and one of the best known producers of PHA. Making use of PHA oligomers, formed by controlled moderate-temperature degradation induced by carboxylate moieties, by examination of both the parent and fragmentation ions, the ESI-MS/MS analysis revealed the 3-hydroxybutyrate and randomly distributed 3-hydroxyvalerate as well as 3-hydroxyhexanoate repeat units. Thus, the bioconversion of PP solid waste to a value-added product such as PHA tert-polymer was demonstrated.