Use of copolymer polyhydroxyalkanoates in development of intelligent packaging

This bachelor thesis deals with the preparation and characterization of copolymers P(3HB-co-4HB). The theoretical part discusses polyhydroxyalcanolates (PHA), where their structure, properties and synthesis are described and subsequently the selected copolymers, which contain monomeric units 3HB, are listed. Furthermore, the review part is processed for the current state of the issue, which states the use of copolymers PHA and current research work on the incorporation of active substances into copolymers. The aim of this work was to characterize and compare the created P(3HB) and P(3HB-co-4HB) foils with a 4HB monomeric unit of 65,25 % and 43,61 % and subsequently determine the potential of foil usability as intelligent packaging materials. First, PHA were subjected to gas chromatography, SEC-MALS, FTIR and DSC analysis. In the second part of the thesis, the permeability of foils to water vapor and the release of model active substances from PHA foils was studied. For this purpose, two active substances (curcumin and salicylic acid) were selected, which were incorporated into a film of homopolymer P(3HB) and two copolymers with a proportion of 4HB of 65,25 % and 43,61 %. In foils prepared from copolymers, the active substances diffusion was faster than in P(3HB). Within the copolymers, P(3HB-co-43,61%4HB) released substances at a higher speed, due to the greater crystallinity of a copolymer containing 65,25 % 4HB