Chemistry
Green Chemistry Approaches to the Synthesis of Biodegradable Polylactic Acid
Quick fact
Polylactic acid (PLA) is the most widely produced biodegradable plastic, but conventional synthesis relies on energy-intensive, metal-catalyzed processes. Green chemistry approaches, such as using enzymes as catalysts, can produce PLA under milder conditions and with lower environmental impact.
Why this is interesting
Plastic pollution is a global crisis, yet we increasingly rely on plastics. What if we could make a plastic that breaks down harmlessly—and produce it in an environmentally friendly way?