Hello, I'm working with composite polymers based on methacrylate, I'm exploring biological degradation by bacteria. I have used FT-IR to detect chemical changes. So far I have noticed a change in the ester peak, there is a new peak or shoulder from the ester peak, but I'm confused because it overlaps the amine signal too. So I don't now if the change is coming form an attack to the ester bond or a contamination with bacterial residues on the surface. I'have been looking for cleaning protocols from groups that study polymer degradation by soil bacteria, but the ones I have found they only rinse the specimens with water. My guess is that they polymer degrade so much that any bacteria background is minor, but in my case the degradation might be very minimal so I don't if there is any other method I could use. I usually grow my biofilms over a small sample made out the polymer.
Thera are many methods to follow biodegradation. of polymers. The method depends on the sample you have, I mean the thickness, the stability, mechanical properties and the problem to be solved and so on.
If you have very thin samples the very good method is microscopy (optical and electron) but it is quantitative method. You can find my paper on microscopy aspect in biodegradation. You can register images vs time of degradation but as well thera are more sophisticated methods of microscopy like XPS for surface chemical analysis. Molecular mass changes of a polymer are the next means to follow biodegradation. Everything depends on the sample chemistry, environment you are studing and the problem to be solved. There are as well biodegradation test normalized but for bulk samples like PLA.
Greetings
Helena Janik
Moreover you cen use the test in which the CO2 is measered as final product of biodegradation or mesare the oxygen consumption.
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