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Natural Polymers and Biopolymers IV

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Macromolecular Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2024 | Viewed by 3083

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Institut Charles Gerhardt Montpellier (ICGM), University of Montpellier, CNRS, ENSCM, 34095 Montpellier, France
Interests: green and sustainable chemistry; building-blocks from biomass; biobased monomers and polymers
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The year 2023 is particularly remarkable because we are celebrating the 25th anniversary of the 12 principles of green chemistry described in the groundbreaking book, "Green Chemistry: Theory and Practice", co-authored by Paul Anastas and John C. Warner, and published in 1998.

The use of renewable resources is one of the most important of these principles. This approach is, in particular, very important for polymers, which have varied industrial applications. Thus, the use of biopolymers and biobased polymers could help the chemical industry to solve some of the current sustainability challenges of our society while also helping to obtain new materials with new properties. Moreover, these biopolymers could also help to avoid the use of harmful substances, thus helping to restore the sustainability of the chemical industry.

This Special Issue on "Natural Polymers and Biopolymers IV" is motivated by the increasing attention that the field of “green polymers” is receiving. It will present cutting-edge research on the use of bioresources for polymer materials and will show how natural polymers and biobased synthetic polymers, with their interesting and original properties, are intended to replace and outperform some oil-based polymers.

Dr. Sylvain Caillol
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • biopolymers
  • biobased polymers
  • biodegradation
  • carbohydrates
  • lipids
  • lignin
  • macromolecular engineering and applications
  • natural fibers
  • polymer synthesis and macromolecular characterization
  • recycling

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 6004 KiB  
Article
Paving the Way towards Sustainability of Polyurethanes: Synthesis and Properties of Terpene-Based Diisocyanate
by Aliénor Delavarde, Sebastien Lemouzy, Aurélien Lebrun, Julien Pinaud and Sylvain Caillol
Molecules 2023, 28(20), 7133; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28207133 - 17 Oct 2023
Viewed by 1061
Abstract
Due to growing concerns about environmental issues and the decline of petroleum-based resources, the synthesis of new biobased compounds for the polymer industry has become a prominent and timely topic. P-menthane-1,8-diamine (PMDA) is a readily available compound synthesized from turpentine, a cheap mixture [...] Read more.
Due to growing concerns about environmental issues and the decline of petroleum-based resources, the synthesis of new biobased compounds for the polymer industry has become a prominent and timely topic. P-menthane-1,8-diamine (PMDA) is a readily available compound synthesized from turpentine, a cheap mixture of natural compounds isolated from pine trees. PMDA has been extensively used for its biological activities, but it can also serve as a source of valuable monomers for the polymer industry. In this work, commercial PMDA (ca. 85% pure) was purified by salinization, crystallization, and alkali treatment and then converted into p-menthane-1,8-diisocyanate (PMDI) through a phosgene-free synthesis at room temperature. A thorough analytical study using NMR techniques (1H, 13C, 13C-1H HSQC, 13C-1H HMBC, and 1H-1H NOESY) enables the characterization of the cis-trans isomeric mixtures of both PMDA and PMDI. These structural studies allowed for a better understanding of the spatial configuration of both isomers. Then, the reactivity of PMDI with a primary alcohol (benzyl alcohol) was studied in the presence of nine different catalysts exhibiting different activation modes. Finally, the use of PMDI in the synthesis of polyurethanes was explored to demonstrate that PMDI can be employed as a new biobased alternative to petrochemical-based isocyanates such as isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Polymers and Biopolymers IV)
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Review

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26 pages, 3524 KiB  
Review
Recent Developments in Synthesis, Properties, Applications and Recycling of Bio-Based Elastomers
by Manuel Burelo, Araceli Martínez, Josué David Hernández-Varela, Thomas Stringer, Monserrat Ramírez-Melgarejo, Alice Y. Yau, Gabriel Luna-Bárcenas and Cecilia D. Treviño-Quintanilla
Molecules 2024, 29(2), 387; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29020387 - 12 Jan 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1552
Abstract
In 2021, global plastics production was 390.7 Mt; in 2022, it was 400.3 Mt, showing an increase of 2.4%, and this rising tendency will increase yearly. Of this data, less than 2% correspond to bio-based plastics. Currently, polymers, including elastomers, are non-recyclable and [...] Read more.
In 2021, global plastics production was 390.7 Mt; in 2022, it was 400.3 Mt, showing an increase of 2.4%, and this rising tendency will increase yearly. Of this data, less than 2% correspond to bio-based plastics. Currently, polymers, including elastomers, are non-recyclable and come from non-renewable sources. Additionally, most elastomers are thermosets, making them complex to recycle and reuse. It takes hundreds to thousands of years to decompose or biodegrade, contributing to plastic waste accumulation, nano and microplastic formation, and environmental pollution. Due to this, the synthesis of elastomers from natural and renewable resources has attracted the attention of researchers and industries. In this review paper, new methods and strategies are proposed for the preparation of bio-based elastomers. The main goals are the advances and improvements in the synthesis, properties, and applications of bio-based elastomers from natural and industrial rubbers, polyurethanes, polyesters, and polyethers, and an approach to their circular economy and sustainability. Olefin metathesis is proposed as a novel and sustainable method for the synthesis of bio-based elastomers, which allows for the depolymerization or degradation of rubbers with the use of essential oils, terpenes, fatty acids, and fatty alcohols from natural resources such as chain transfer agents (CTA) or donors of the terminal groups in the main chain, which allow for control of the molecular weights and functional groups, obtaining new compounds, oligomers, and bio-based elastomers with an added value for the application of new polymers and materials. This tendency contributes to the development of bio-based elastomers that can reduce carbon emissions, avoid cross-contamination from fossil fuels, and obtain a greener material with biodegradable and/or compostable behavior. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Polymers and Biopolymers IV)
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