Dear Colleagues,

With the ominous threat of depleting resources and the pressing climate crisis, the pursuit of carbon neutrality has taken on a new sense of urgency. Both governments and corporations have set ambitious climate goals for the near and distant future, resulting in renewed momentum towards a more sustainable world. Nevertheless, with the ecological footprint of the Earth reminding us of our precarious future, it is crucial that we act with stronger determination and dedication to guarantee a habitable planet for future generations. An attractive solution to our current reliance on petroleum-based value chains is the use of lignocellulose biomass as an abundant and renewable source of a variety of raw materials. Hence, the potential of wood-based products has captured the attention of both scientific and industrial communities. Fibers and biopolymers are utilized in the production of adhesives, resins, and composites, each of which are widely used in various sectors such as construction, agriculture, and food and beverage manufacturing. However, due to the increasing environmental and social concerns, it is crucial to explore greener technologies and/or solvents for obtaining raw materials, developing high-performance materials, and evaluating their recyclability and biodegradability in the production of wood-based products. Advances in these areas will enable sustainable development and facilitate the transition towards a circular bioeconomy. 

This Special Issue focuses on providing an overview of the current scientific progress in the preparation and application of wood-based materials, with a particular interest in green technologies and/or solvents. The scope of this Special Issue includes, but is not limited to, the following disciplinary aspects:

• Biorefinery concept for wood-based materials production;
• Wood-based products manufacturing processes and characterisation;
• Applications of wood-based products;
• Studies on wood-based product recyclability;
• Studies on wood-based product biodegradability. 

Therefore, we are pleased to invite you to submit original research articles and reviews for inclusion in this Special Issue of Polymers.

Dr. Filipa A. Vicente
Dr. Jorge F. B. Pereira
Dr. Giorgio Tofani
Guest Editors

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. Polymers 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.

• biopolymers
• biorenewable resources
• biomaterials
• biorefinery
• natural fibres
• wood composite
• recycling
• biodegradability
• wood products design and characterization