# Recent Advances in Thermoplastic Starch (TPS) and Biodegradable Polyester Blends: A Review of Compatibilization Strategies and Bioactive Functionalities

## TL;DR

This review explores how blending thermoplastic starch with biodegradable polyesters can create sustainable materials, focusing on improving compatibility and adding bioactive properties.

## Contribution

The paper provides a comprehensive review of recent compatibilization strategies and bioactive functionalities in TPS/polyester blends.

## Key findings

- TPS blends with polyesters offer sustainable alternatives but face challenges due to incompatibility.
- Compatibilization strategies like chemical modification and bio-based additives improve blend performance.
- Bioactive additives enhance antimicrobial and antioxidant properties in some TPS/polyester systems.

## Abstract

Thermoplastic starch (TPS) blended with biodegradable polyesters such as polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB), polylactic acid (PLA), polybutylene succinate (PBS), and polycaprolactone (PCL) represents a promising route toward sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based plastics. TPS offers advantages related to abundance, low cost, and biodegradability, while polyesters provide improved mechanical strength, thermal stability, and barrier performance. However, the intrinsic incompatibility between hydrophilic TPS and hydrophobic polyesters typically leads to immiscible systems with poor interfacial adhesion and limited performance. This review critically examines recent advances in the development of TPS/polyester blends, with emphasis on compatibilization strategies based on chemical modification, natural and synthetic compatibilizers, bio-based additives, and reinforcing agents. Particular attention is given to the role of organic acids, essential oils, phenolic compounds, nanofillers, and natural reinforcements in controlling morphology, crystallinity, interfacial interactions, and thermal–mechanical behavior. In addition, the contribution of bioactive additives to antimicrobial and antioxidant functionality is discussed as an emerging multifunctional feature of some TPS/polyester systems. Finally, current limitations related to long-term stability, scalability, and life cycle assessment are highlighted, identifying key challenges and future research directions for the development of advanced biodegradable materials with tailored properties.