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Biodegradable cationic polymers
  • Background
  • What we're looking for
  • What we can offer you
  • Who we are
  • Q&A
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Background

Cationic polymers play an important role of delivering actives in cleansing products. Mechanism of active delivery or deposition include coacervation (complex interaction between cationic polymers with anionic surfactants), adsorption, film formation, and aggregation on surfaces. In addition, it is necessary to have cationic polymers in cleansing products that not only provide breakthrough performance but are also biodegradable. 

 

Most of the current cationic polymer materials in cleansing products have limited or slow biodegradability. There is a need to find highly biodegradable polymers that also provide breakthrough performance including deposition of actives and conditioning.

What we're looking for

We are looking for highly biodegradable cationic polymers that demonstrate breakthrough deposition and delivery of active ingredients on diverse surfaces, including materials currently under development and not limited to those commercially available. We also welcome proposals on biodegradable cationic polymer manufacturing processes. Proposals should outline how the solution could be pilot tested.

Solutions of interest include:
  • Innovative cationic polymers with breakthrough (high) deposition and delivery of actives
  • Innovative production processes for biodegradable cationic polymers
Our must-have requirements are:
  • Materials should enable deposition on hydrophobic and hydrophilic surfaces.
  • Materials should be available in at least gram-scale quantities with line-of-sight to larger-scale production for near term R&D usage (kg scale) and eventual full production scale (ton scale)
  • Preliminary biodegradability data on a method that can be linked to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) biodegradability method or a clear rationale indicating the polymer is highly biodegradable
Our nice-to-have's are:
  • Materials should be either readily biodegradable (majority of the polymer degrades within 28 days) or exhibit intermediate biodegradability (partial degradation within 28 days), as defined by controlled test methods outlined by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
What's out of scope:
  • Commonly known cationic polymers i.e. polyquaterniums 1 – 47 or guar hydroxypropyltrimonium chloride
Acceptable technology readiness levels (TRL):
Levels 1-6
What we can offer you
Eligible partnership models:
Sponsored research
Benefits:
Sponsored Research
Funding appropriate to proposal.
Who we are

At P&G, innovation is what we do best. We love finding solutions to problems. With the heart of a start-up and the resources of a global corporation, we are always looking for ways to reinvent every aspect of our business. As we innovate, we find inspiration in people - their needs, values, desires, and passions. The people of P&G R&D know that collaboration is key to unlocking visionary thinking. Our experts seamlessly work together with our external partners in the pursuit of the new, the next, the impossible. Read more here: https://www.pgconnectdevelop.com/

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Reviewers
Q&A with Procter & Gamble

The Q&A is now closed.

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Q.
I'm not sure if we have the right chemistry to produce the specific polymers you need, but we do have a biodegradation test lab that we could utilize to assist other research teams. Is this of interest?
3
A.
Thank you Eric, but no, we have our own internal models & methods for biodegradation. We may come back to you if we find gaps in our methods. We'd like to keep you as a contact in this space. Thanks for contacting us.
PE
Pete Ellingson, Director / Open Innovation, Procter & Gamble
July 8, 2025
Is this response helpful?
0
0
Q.
The charge state of some groups (e.g. non-quaternary amines) is determined by their protonation state, which is dependent on the pH of their environment -- are such compounds fair game, and if so, what pKa is reasonable?
2
A.
Thanks for the question Thomas, yes such compounds that have ph-dependent charges would be of interest. pKa values of 8 or higher are of interest.
PE
Pete Ellingson, Director / Open Innovation, Procter & Gamble
July 8, 2025
Is this response helpful?
0
0
Q.
Are known biodegradable cationic polymers (e.g., chitosan) in scope for this work? What about functionalizations of known polymers (e.g., attaching positive charged groups to lignin)? Thank you!
1
A.
Thanks for asking Andrew. Yes we are interested in modified chitosan type polymers. Yes we are also interested in functionalizations of known polymers such as lignin as long as they can be dispersed in an aqueous continuous phase.
PE
Pete Ellingson, Director / Open Innovation, Procter & Gamble
July 8, 2025
Is this response helpful?
1
0
Q.
Hello, are there any particular "active ingredients" you are interested in?
1
A.
Thanks for the question Manos, can you say more about your question? We are looking for water dispersible cationic polymers that are biodegradable. Is that what you mean by "active ingredients?" Or, are you asking what type of active ingredients might these polymers be formulated with to derive some other benefit?
PE
Pete Ellingson, Director / Open Innovation, Procter & Gamble
July 8, 2025
Is this response helpful?
0
0
A.
Thanks for the clarification, Manos. We are looking for water dispersible cationic polymers rather than active ingredients.
HM
Hilda Namanja Magliano, Senior Scientist, Procter & Gamble
July 24, 2025
Is this response helpful?
0
0
Q.
I am a professor with more 20 years experience in working on antimicrobial chitosan derivatives. I have start-up company focusing on the antimicrobial coatings. Could I and the start up company make joint application?
1
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