Sustainable DNA-polysaccharide hydrogels as recyclable bioplastics

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Checked on Sep 12, 2025
Sustainable DNA-polysaccharide hydrogels as recyclable bioplastics
Title:
Sustainable DNA-polysaccharide hydrogels as recyclable bioplastics
Journal Title:
Nature Communications
Keywords:
Publication Date:
12 August 2025
Citation:
Ke, Y., Lan, K., Wong, J. Y., Lu, H., Gao, S., Ryu, K., Chen, F., Loh, W. W., Dong, Z., Lim, J. Y. C., Dong, Z., Chen, X., Willner, I., & Hu, Y. (2025). Sustainable DNA-polysaccharide hydrogels as recyclable bioplastics. Nature Communications, 16(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-62682-1
Abstract:
Traditional petrochemical-derived plastics are challenging to recycle and degrade, and the existing (re)process methods are organic solvent-based and/or energy-intensive, resulting in significant environmental contamination and greenhouse gas emissions. This study presents a sustainable bioplastic material characterized by multi-closed-loop recyclability and water (re)processability. The bioplastics are derived from abundant polysaccharide sources of dextran, alginic acid, carboxymethyl cellulose, and DNA of plant and living organism waste. The process involves chemical oxidation of polysaccharides to produce aldehyde-functionalized derivatives, which subsequently form reversible imine covalent bonds with amine groups in DNA. This reaction yields water-processable polysaccharide/DNA crosslinked hydrogels, serving as raw materials for producing sustainable bioplastics. The bioplastic products exhibit (bio)degradability and recyclability, enabling aqueous recovery of the hydrogel constituents through plastic hydrolysis and the natural biodegradability of DNA and polysaccharides. These products demonstrate excellent resistance to organic solvents, self-healing, scalability, and effective processing down to nanometer scales, underscoring their potential for broad and versatile applications. The work provides potential pathways for advancing sustainable and environmentally friendly bioplastic materials.
License type:
Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
Funding Info:
This research / project is supported by the Agency for Science, Technology and Research - Career Development Fund
Grant Reference no. : C210112014

This research / project is supported by the Agency for Science, Technology and Research - Science and Engineering Research Council Central Research Fund - Use-Inspired Basic Research
Grant Reference no. : KIMR220901Asercrf

This research / project is supported by the National Research Foundation - Quantum Engineering Programme 2.0
Grant Reference no. : NRF2021-QEP2-03-P09
Description:
ISSN:
2041-1723