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The detrimental impact of discarded plastics on the environment has become of increasing concern and this has led to the development of environmentally friendly “green” polymers. PHBV is one such green polymer that offers biodegradability and renewability, however its mechanical performance is quite limited. This can be improved by reinforcement with natural fibers to form green composites, which offer better mechanical properties while retaining biodegradability. There are, however, few studies examining the biodegradation of toughened PHBV composites. In this work, the biodegradation properties of PHBV/30 vol.% unidirectional flax composites both untoughened and toughened with PBAT and ENR, were studied. Composites were prepared by compression molding PHBV powder interleaved with unidirectional flax fabric. The toughening agents were cryoground and mixed with the PHBV powder prior to molding. Biodegradation was conducted in a natural outdoor soil environment and biodegradability was evaluated through weight loss analysis, optical microscopy and electron microscopy. The biodegradability of neat PHBV was minimal but was increased markedly by addition of flax fibers. The toughened composites showed a faster degradation rate than untoughened PHBV/flax, with PHBV/ENR/flax composites having the highest rate likely due to a specific strain of bacteria found worldwide in soil that attacks natural rubber. The biodegradation properties of the composites were superior to those of conventional plastics used in applications such as computer and mobile phone casings, which indicates potential suitability of this class of materials for these applications.

Organic semiconductors remain of major interest in the field of bioelectrochemistry for their versatility in chemical and electrochemical behavior. These materials have been tailored using organic synthesis for use in cell stimulation, sustainable energy production, and in biosensors. Recent progress in the field of fully organic semiconductor biosensors is outlined in this review, with a particular emphasis on the synthetic tailoring of these semiconductors for their intended application. Biosensors ultimately function on the basis of a physical, optical or electrochemical change which occurs in the active material when it encounters the target analyte. Electrochemical biosensors are becoming increasingly popular among organic semiconductor biosensors, owing to their good detection performances, and simple operation. The analyte either interacts directly with the semiconductor material in a redox process or undergoes a redox process with a moiety such as an enzyme attached to the semiconductor material. The electrochemical signal is then transduced through the semiconductor material. The most recent examples of organic semiconductor biosensors are discussed here with reference to the material design of polymers with semiconducting backbones, specifically conjugated polymers, and polymer semiconducting dyes. We conclude that direct interaction between the analyte and the semiconducting material is generally more sensitive and cost effective, despite being currently limited by the need to identify, and synthesize selective sensing functionalities. It is also worth noting the potential roles of highly-sensitive, organic transistor devices and small molecule semiconductors, such as the photochromic and redox active molecule spiropyran, as polymer pendant groups in future biosensor designs.