Description
PETases are an esterase class of enzymes that catalyze the hydrolysis of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic to monomeric mono-2-hydroxyethyl terephthalate (MHET). The idealized chemical reaction is (where n is the number of monomers in the polymer chain): (ethylene terephthalate)n + H2O → (ethylene terephthalate)n-1 + MHET Trace amount of the PET breaks down to bis(2-hydroxyethyl) terephthalate (BHET). PETases can also break down PEF-plastic (polyethylene-2,5-furandicarboxylate), which is a bioderived PET replacement. PETases can't catalyze the hydrolysis of aliphatic polyesters like polybutylene succinate or polylactic acid. Non-enzymatic natural degradation of PET will take hundreds of years, but PETases can degrade PET in matter of days