U.S. patent application filed for a process to prepare complex oligomeric structures, naming Catia Bastioli among the inventors.
On March 10, 2015, Novamont S.p.A. filed a U.S. patent application titled "Process for the preparation of complex oligomeric structures," naming Catia Bastioli among the inventors. Oligomeric structures, chains composed of a limited number of monomer units, serve as important intermediates and additives in advanced polymer formulations, influencing properties such as flexibility, degradation behavior, and compatibility with other bio-based materials.
This filing reflects the increasing sophistication of Bastioli's research portfolio, moving into more complex macromolecular chemistry aimed at fine-tuning the performance characteristics of Novamont's biodegradable and bio-based materials. Such oligomeric building blocks could be used as plasticizers, compatibilizers, or functional additives within the broader Mater-Bi platform and related green chemistry products.
The application, later granted as US Patent 9,695,105 in 2016, exemplifies the continuous innovation pipeline maintained by Bastioli and her team, decades after her earliest starch-based bioplastic patents. It highlights her sustained leadership role in polymer and materials chemistry research well into her third decade at the forefront of sustainable materials science.