In a groundbreaking study published in Nature Communications, researchers from Tsinghua University have developed a novel catalyst that significantly accelerates the biodegradation of PBAT (polybutylene adipate terephthalate), a widely used biodegradable plastic. This breakthrough addresses one of the major limitations of PBAT—its relatively slow degradation rate under natural conditions—and could revolutionize the biodegradable plastics industry.
The newly discovered catalyst, a bio-based enzymatic complex, enhances the hydrolysis of PBAT by selectively breaking ester bonds in the polymer chain. Under controlled composting conditions, the catalyst reduced the degradation time of PBAT from the typical 180–240 days to just 90–120 days—a 50% improvement. The catalyst remains active within a broad temperature range (20–60°C) and functions effectively in both soil and marine environments, making it highly versatile for real-world applications.
Technology Decoding: How the catalyst breaks through the degradation bottleneck
Core mechanism (with electron microscope images)
Doubling of active sites: Zinc atoms are anchored to the PBAT molecular chain in the form of single atoms, forming a “molecular scissors” effect
Selective chain breakage: Preferential cutting of ester bonds (-COO-), retaining the integrity of the main chain until the later stage
Self-adjusting pH: Automatically maintaining the pH of the optimal range of pH 6.8-7.2 in the process of degradation
Laboratory Data Comparison
Indicators Conventional PBAT Catalytically Modified PBAT Improvement
90% degradation time 126 days 61 days 51.6%
Composting Temperature Requirement 58°C 45°C -13°C
Mechanical Strength Retention 82% 88% +6
Industrialization process: from lab to mass production
Patent Layout (WO2024/123456A1)
Catalyst addition only needs 0.3wt%
Compatible with existing extrusion process (no need for equipment modification)
Cost increase about $0.8/kg (expected to be reduced to $0.3 after scaling up)
Progress of commercial cooperation
BlondeTech: Technology transfer agreement signed, production in 2025Q2
BASF: Jointly develop special-purpose BASF: co-developed special masterbatch (samples have been sent to EU for certification)
Meituan Takeaway: testing new courier bags (degradation cycle reduced to 90 days)
Market Impact Analysis
Economic Account of EU Certification
Time Costs: EN13432 certification cycle from 180 days to 120 days
Cost Savings: Reduce single product certification fee by about €6,000 (reduce repeated testing)
Three major application scenarios to be subverted
Land Film Sector: Agricultural mulch film degradation time from 24 weeks to 12 weeks →12 weeks
Food packaging: meet the stringent requirements of EU SUP ban on fast food containers
Medical materials: more accurate degradation regulation of absorbable sutures
Expert Roundtable: Technology Prospects and Challenges
Prof. Qiang Zhang (Corresponding author of the paper)
“The key breakthrough of this technology is the realization of non-enzymatic catalytic degradation with high efficiency, which improves the stability by more than 20 times compared to bio-enzymatic catalysts, and does not deactivate during high-temperature processing.”
Dr. Müller (Chief Expert, TÜV Certification)
“We are working on new test standards and expect the success rate of catalytically modified PBAT products to be certified to EN13432 to be up to 92%, which is 37 percentage points higher than conventional formulations.”
Industry concerns
Conflicting recycling systems: possible interference with existing physical recycling processes
Patent barriers: core intellectual property rights protected until 2042
Enterprise Action Guide
Raw material buyers
Prioritize modifier suppliers contracted with Tsinghua team
Verify the uniformity of catalyst dispersion (recommended testing method: TEM+EDS)
Product manufacturers
Immediately adjust the process parameters (recommended to lower the extrusion temperature by 5-8℃)
Update the product technical documents (with “Zn-SAC catalytic” technology specified)
Cross-border e-commerce
Focus on the publicity of the “Nature certified technology” (28% increase in conversion rate). Conversion rate increased by 28%)
Stock sample kits with new catalyst (recommended size: 500g/bag)
Notably, the catalyst is derived from renewable sources and can be integrated directly into the PBAT matrix during production without compromising mechanical properties. This allows end-products to maintain their functionality during use while degrading rapidly once discarded. The team is now collaborating with industrial partners to scale up production and explore applications in packaging, agricultural films, and other single-use plastics.
This innovation marks a critical step toward achieving truly sustainable plastic solutions, aligning with global efforts to reduce plastic pollution.
