Nanomaterial scaffolds for enzymatic polymer degradation: a tool to advance current biodegradation assessments of polymers in liquid formulation

Polymers are used as an integral component in a wide range of liquid formulation products to improve formulation integrity and product performance. Due to environmental and regulatory pressures, it is necessary for the industry to shift away from petrochemically derived polymers to more sustainable and biodegradable products. However, current methods to analyse the biodegradation of polymers are time consuming and adapted to small molecules which is stifling innovation in this area. There is a requirement to re-envisage how the industry conducts biodegradability testing for polymers in liquid formulation (PLFs) from high-throughput screening methods at the preliminary stages of development to predictive modelling. Advancements in the use of nanomaterials as enzyme immobilisation scaffolds for polymer degradation could evolve how biodegradability testing is thought about and drive the PLF industry into a more sustainable future. This review highlights the current trends in the use of nanomaterials as enzyme immobilisation platforms and how this technology has been applied to the degradation of biodegradable PLFs.