Studies on the microbial synthesis and characterization of polyhydroxyalkanoates containing 4-hydroxyvalerate using γ-valerolactone

In this study, the ability of Cupriavidus sp. USMAA2-4 to synthesize polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) containing 4-hydroxyvalerate monomer (4HV) was studied through one-stage cultivation using γ-valerolactone as the carbon precursor. The presence of 4HV monomer unit in the polymer was detected through gas chromatography analysis, proving the capability of this wild strain bacterium to produce poly(3-hydrxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate-co-4-hydroxyvalerate) [P(3HB-co-3HV-co-4HV)] terpolymer. Existence of a 4HV monomer unit in the PHA produced was further confirmed through (13)C and (1)H NMR analysis. P(3HB-co-88 % 3HV-co-1 % 4HV) terpolymer with the highest PHA content of 63 wt% was obtained through combination of 0.14 wt% C of γ-valerolactone with 0.42 wt% C of oleic acid. Various compositions of P(3HB-co-3HV-co-4HV) terpolymer with 3HV and 4HV compositions ranging from 11 to 94 mol% and from 1 to 4 mol%, respectively, were acquired by manipulating γ-valerolactone and oleic acid concentrations. The molecular weight and the thermal and mechanical properties of four different compositions of terpolymers-P(3HB-co-91 % 3HV-co-1 % 4HV), P(3HB-co-55 % 3HV-co-2 % 4HV), P(3HB-co-27 % 3HV-co-2 % 4HV), and P(3HB-co-9 % 3HV-co-1 % 4HV)-were characterized. Among these terpolymers, P(3HB-co-27 % 3HV-co-2 % 4HV) terpolymer with a molecular weight of 5.7 (10(5) Da) exhibited the highest elongation to break (264 %). The monomer unit compositional distributions of these terpolymers were investigated through acetone-water fractionation analysis. The results suggested that these produced terpolymers had broad 3HV compositional distribution and narrow 4HV compositional distribution.