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Polymers
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Biobased and Natural Polymers II
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Biobased and Natural Polymers II

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Biomacromolecules, Biobased and Biodegradable Polymers".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 January 2024) | Viewed by 5091

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Jose Manuel Ageitos

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Bionanotools Laboratory, Center for Research in Biological Chemistry and Molecular Materials (CiQUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Campus Vida, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Interests: biotechnology; biomaterials; proteins
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues, 

Although we have been developing synthetic polymers for more than a century, we must not forget that nature is the ultimate source of polymeric materials such as polysaccharides, proteins, and polyesters. Through natural selection over time, the structure of natural polymers has been refined to the point of achieving properties which are difficult to replicate in synthetic polymers. Natural polymers have conserved characteristics, in terms of composition and molecular weight; moreover, they allow for chemical modifications or engineering to produce thousands of applications. The materials made of biopolymers have impressive properties, such as silk or pollen grains, whose composition and structure make them hard to emulate using current technology. From bulk materials to nanotechnology, biobased polymers are widely employed due to their improved biocompatibility and biodegradability, making them of great interest in biomedicine and pharmaceutical sciences, as well as aiding in the production of ecofriendly packages or plastics.

Based on the success of "Biobased and Natural Polymers", a Special Issue in Polymers, https://www.mdpi.com/journal/polymers/special_issues/Bio_Nat_Polym, and to provide continuity in this topic, we are pleased to open the second volume of this Special Issue “Biobased and Natural Polymers II” to continue collecting articles and reviews addressing the synthesis, purification, characterization, and applications of polymers of natural origin, biobased materials, and tailor-made biopolymers. Innovative approaches in biomedical, pharmaceutical, material sciences, as well as the description or application of new and classical biopolymers are welcome for submission to this Special Issue.

Dr. Jose Manuel Ageitos
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. 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.

Keywords

  • biopolymer
  • biomaterial
  • biomedical polymer
  • bioplastic
  • polysaccharide
  • protein
  • polyester

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 2682 KiB  
Article
Comparative Study of the Preparation of High-Molecular-Weight Fibroin by Degumming Silk with Several Neutral Proteases
by Xueping Liu, Qian Huang, Peng Pan, Mengqi Fang, Yadong Zhang, Shanlong Yang, Mingzhong Li and Yu Liu
Polymers 2023, 15(16), 3383; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15163383 - 12 Aug 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1045
Abstract
Removing sericin from the periphery of silk without damage to silk fibroin (SF) to obtain high-molecular-weight SF is a major challenge in the field of SF-based biomaterials. In this study, four neutral proteases, subtilisin, trypsin, bromelain and papain, were used to degum silk, [...] Read more.
Removing sericin from the periphery of silk without damage to silk fibroin (SF) to obtain high-molecular-weight SF is a major challenge in the field of SF-based biomaterials. In this study, four neutral proteases, subtilisin, trypsin, bromelain and papain, were used to degum silk, and the degumming efficiency of the proteases and their influence on the molecular weight (MW) of regenerated silk fibroin were studied. The results indicated that all four neutral proteases could remove sericin from silk almost completely, and they caused less damage to SF fibers than Na2CO3 degumming did. The degumming efficiency of trypsin and papain was strong, but they caused relatively high damage to SF, whereas bromelain caused the least damage. The results of sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, gel permeation chromatography and shear viscosity showed that the MWs of regenerated SF derived from neutral protease degumming were significantly higher than that of SF derived from Na2CO3 degumming. The MW of regenerated SF derived from bromelain degumming was the highest, while the MWs of regenerated SF derived from papain and trypsin degumming were relatively low. This study provides an efficient and environmentally friendly biological degumming method for obtaining high-molecular-weight silk fibroin. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biobased and Natural Polymers II)
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10 pages, 2666 KiB  
Article
Electron Beam-Induced Compatibilization of PLA/PBAT Blends in Presence of Epoxidized Soybean Oil
by Lena Marbach and Philip Mörbitz
Polymers 2023, 15(15), 3265; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15153265 - 31 Jul 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 815
Abstract
Blending of polymers can enhance performance of plastics and can give the opportunity to broaden the application fields. Especially the brittleness of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is an issue, that is often addressed by blending it with soft polymers like poly(butylene adipate terephthalate) (PBAT). [...] Read more.
Blending of polymers can enhance performance of plastics and can give the opportunity to broaden the application fields. Especially the brittleness of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is an issue, that is often addressed by blending it with soft polymers like poly(butylene adipate terephthalate) (PBAT). The immiscibility of those two polymers leads to limited properties of the blend. This study aimed to examine the application of electron-beam treatment with the implementation of a compatibilizing agent. PLA and PBAT were compounded with the addition of epoxidized soybean oil (ESBO) in different ratios and extruded into flat films. These were treated with electron beams at irradiation doses ranging from 12.5 to 100 kGy. The films thus produced were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry, size exclusion chromatography, scanning electron microscopy and tensile testing. A significant change in the glass transition temperatures of the blend partners was observed, as well as a substantial increase in elongation at break, even in PLA-rich compositions. These findings indicate improved compatibilization. Furthermore, the use of epoxidized soybean oil showed a changed extraction behavior of PBAT, indicating a formed binding to PLA. The results show that electron-beam treatment can significantly improve the compatibility between different polymers in blends, leading to enhanced mechanical and thermal properties. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biobased and Natural Polymers II)
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21 pages, 5249 KiB  
Article
One-Step Oxidation of Orange Peel Waste to Carbon Feedstock for Bacterial Production of Polyhydroxybutyrate
by Maryam Davaritouchaee, Imann Mosleh, Younas Dadmohammadi and Alireza Abbaspourrad
Polymers 2023, 15(3), 697; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15030697 - 30 Jan 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2711
Abstract
Orange peels are an abundant food waste stream that can be converted into useful products, such as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs). Limonene, however, is a key barrier to building a successful biopolymer synthesis from orange peels as it inhibits microbial growth. We designed a one-pot [...] Read more.
Orange peels are an abundant food waste stream that can be converted into useful products, such as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs). Limonene, however, is a key barrier to building a successful biopolymer synthesis from orange peels as it inhibits microbial growth. We designed a one-pot oxidation system that releases the sugars from orange peels while eliminating limonene through superoxide (O2• −) generated from potassium superoxide (KO2). The optimum conditions were found to be treatment with 0.05 M KO2 for 1 h, where 55% of the sugars present in orange peels were released and recovered. The orange peel sugars were then used, directly, as a carbon source for polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) production by engineered Escherichia coli. Cell growth was improved in the presence of the orange peel liquor with 3 w/v% exhibiting 90–100% cell viability. The bacterial production of PHB using orange peel liquor led to 1.7–3.0 g/L cell dry weight and 136–393 mg (8–13 w/w%) ultra-high molecular weight PHB content (Mw of ~1900 kDa) during a 24 to 96 h fermentation period. The comprehensive thermal characterization of the isolated PHBs revealed polymeric properties similar to PHBs resulting from pure glucose or fructose. Our one-pot oxidation process for liberating sugars and eliminating inhibitory compounds is an efficient and easy method to release sugars from orange peels and eliminate limonene, or residual limonene post limonene extraction, and shows great promise for extracting sugars from other complex biomass materials. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biobased and Natural Polymers II)
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