Development of Marine‐Degradable Poly(Ester Amide)s with Strong, Up‐Scalable, and Up‐Cyclable Performance

Biodegradable polyesters provide an attractive alternative to non-degradable plastics but often encounter a tradeoff between biodegradability and mechanical properties because esters are rotational and lack hydrogen bonds. Conversely, natural polyamides, i.e., silk exhibit excellent mechanical strength because amides are non-rotational and form hydrogen bonds. Unlike esters, the nitrogen in amides can enhance microbial biodegradation. However, protein engineering exhibits limited productivity, and artificial polyamides, i.e., nylon remain non-degradable due to their hydrophobic nature. Herein, a method is proposed for developing poly(ester amide)s (PEA)s, a polyester and polyamide hybrid, to address prevailing production challenges. These materials are synthesized from upcycled monomers in a 10 L reactor and converted into films and yarns. They achieve a tensile strength of 109 MPa and tenacity of 5.0 g de