Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), a class of polyesters discovered nearly a century ago, have recently gained renewed industrial and academic interest because of their renewability, biocompatibility, degradability, and recyclability. Diverse PHAs are biosynthesized in nature from microorganisms. They also can be synthesized through chemical reactions, creating forms with greater variability with respect to polymer chain length, microstructure, postpolymerization reactivity, and functional properties. However, PHAs suffer from mechanical brittleness, thermal instability, and lack of the desired closed-loop chemical recyclability, which limit their widespread applications. On page 64 of this issue, Zhou describe a synthetic strategy based on designing PHAs with enhanced mechanical toughness and thermal stability. Moreover, the process is circular, enabling PHAs to be recycled.
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