End-Capped polyglyoxylates: Stimuli-Responsive coating for agricultural products

这个项目涉及一种新型的可生物降解的聚合物，它通过端到端的机制选择性地对刺激做出反应。这些聚合物在没有刺激的情况下是稳定的，并保持其性质，但在刺激的存在下会迅速降解。与我们的行业合作伙伴合作，一个由化学家、化学工程师、生物学家和农学家组成的多学科团队致力于利用这些“智能”聚合物的独特特性来开发肥料涂层，这种涂层将根据植物的需要选择性地释放养分。该项目将涉及开发对植物根部发出的化学信号做出反应的聚合物封端基团，以及研究和优化聚合物及其配方，以获得理想的涂料性能。将研究聚合物在不同环境条件下的降解，以确定它们是否适合肥料释放，并了解它们对土壤的潜在影响。有了优化的包膜，它们将被应用于尿素肥料颗粒，并将在受控环境和农业田间对包膜肥料进行评估。总体而言，目标是提高化肥的效率，同时减少农业化学品作为温室气体渗入供水和大气所造成的有害环境影响。

This project involves a new class of biodegradable polymers that un-zip by an end-to-end mechanism selectively in response to stimuli. These polymers are stable and retain their properties in the absence of stimuli, but degrade rapidly in the presence of stimuli. Working with our industry partner, a multidisciplinary team of chemists, chemical engineers, biologists, and agronomists aim to exploit the unique properties of these "smart" polymers for the development of fertilizer coatings that will release nutrients selectively in response to the needs of plants. This project will involve the development of polymer capping groups that respond to chemical signals exuded by the roots of plants as well as the study and optimization of the polymers and their formulations in order to attain properties that are ideal for coatings. The degradation of the polymers in various environmental conditions will be studied to determine their suitability for fertilizer release and to understand their potential impacts on soil. With optimized coatings in hand, they will then be applied to urea fertilizer particles and the coated fertilizers will be evaluated both in controlled environments and in an agricultural field. Overall, the aim is to increase the efficiency of fertilizers, while at the same time reducing the harmful environmental effects associated with the leaching of agricultural chemicals into the water supply and into the atmosphere as greenhouse gases.