Natalia O. Zhila

Natalia O. Zhila


Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

4Years (2023-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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29 June 2023 in Polymers
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
Tatiana VolovaTatiana Volova
Tatiana Volova
MUMayya Uspenskaya
Mayya Uspenskaya
EKEvgeniy Kiselev
Evgeniy Kiselev
ASAleksey Sukovatyi
Aleksey Sukovatyi
NZNatalia O. Zhila
Natalia O. Zhila
Ekaterina I. ShishatskayaEkaterina I. Shishatskaya
Ekaterina I. Shishatskaya
The properties of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) P(3HB-co-3HHx) copolymers with different ratios of monomers synthesized by the wild-type strain Cupriavidus necator B-10646 on sugars, and an industrial sample from Kaneka synthesized by the recombinant strain C. necator NSDG-ΔfadB1 on soybean oil, were studied in a comparative aspect and in relation to poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) P(3HB). The copolymer samples, regardless of the synthesis conditions or the ratio of monomers, had reduced values of crystallinity degree (50–60%) and weight average molecular weight (415–520 kDa), and increased values of polydispersity (2.8–4.3) compared to P(3HB) (70–76%, 720 kDa, and 2.2). The industrial sample had differences in its thermal behavior, including a lower glass transition temperature (−2.4 °C), two peaks in its crystallization and melting regions, a lower melting point (Tmelt) (112/141 °C), and a more pronounced gap between Tmelt and the temperature of thermal degradation (Tdegr). The process, shape, and size of the spherulites formed during the isothermal crystallization of P(3HB) and P(3HB-co-3HHx) were generally similar, but differed in the maximum growth rate of the spherulites during exothermic crystallization, which was 3.5–3.7 μm/min for P(3HB), and 0.06–1.25 for the P(3HB-co-3HHx) samples. The results from studying the thermal properties and the crystallization mechanism of P(3HB-co-3HHx) copolymers are important for improving the technologies for processing polymer products from melts.