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Polymers
Special Issues
Sustainable and Renewable Polymers from Biomass
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Sustainable and Renewable Polymers from Biomass

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 (20 December 2023) | Viewed by 1640

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Biljana Bujanovic

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
USDA-FS-Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, WI, USA
Interests: chemical composition of wood; lignin; delignification; biorefineries; lignin valorization
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Successfully transitioning to a circular bioeconomy with viable alternatives to synthetic polymers depends strongly on progress in the areas of sustainable and renewable polymer production and performance. Biopolymers, along with biofuels and biochemicals, are a pillar product class of the emerging biorefineries, with broad potential impact ranging from construction, automotive and packaging industries to commodity products and pharmaceutical and medical applications. They can be isolated and used without further modifications, as in the case of lignosulfonates and glucomannans; after conversion to their nanoform, as exemplified by nanocellulose, nanolignin, and nanochitin/chitosan; or after chemical modifications, as in case of starch and cellulose derivatives and lignin-based adhesives and polyurethanes. They can also be depolymerized and biologically or chemically converted to different polymers, such as polyhydroxyalkanoates and polyethylene furanoates, respectively. This Special Issue focuses on the production, characterization, application, recyclability and biodegradability of biopolymers. Studies of interest also include the characterization of biopolymers in situ and throughout processing. You are kindly invited to contribute recent research findings and comprehensive reviews of previously published results in these areas. We hope this Special Issue will facilitate the use of sustainable and renewable polymers in the next generation of green materials.

Dr. Biljana Bujanovic
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

  • cellulose
  • hemicelluloses
  • lignin
  • starch, chitin/chitosan
  • biochemical conversion
  • biopolymers

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

23 pages, 6394 KiB  
Article
Lignin-Based Hydrogels for the Delivery of Bioactive Chaga Mushroom Extract
by Aditi Nagardeolekar, Prajakta Dongre and Biljana M. Bujanovic
Polymers 2024, 16(6), 807; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16060807 - 14 Mar 2024
Viewed by 693
Abstract
Lignin-poly(ethylene)glycol diglycidyl ether hydrogels were synthesized from lignin fractions readily extracted during the hot-water treatment of angiosperms: hardwoods, sugar maple and energy-crop willow, monocotyledons, grasses, miscanthus and agriculture residues, and wheat straw. These lignins represent a broad range of chemical structures and properties [...] Read more.
Lignin-poly(ethylene)glycol diglycidyl ether hydrogels were synthesized from lignin fractions readily extracted during the hot-water treatment of angiosperms: hardwoods, sugar maple and energy-crop willow, monocotyledons, grasses, miscanthus and agriculture residues, and wheat straw. These lignins represent a broad range of chemical structures and properties as a comparative analysis of their suitability to produce the hydrogels as a novel carrier of chaga–silver nanoparticles. The formation of hydrogels was assessed via attenuated total reflectance Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy. Then, the hydrogels were observed via scanning electron microscopy and evaluated for their free-absorbency capacity and moduli of compression. Furthermore, a hydrogel produced from kraft lignin and two commercial hydrogels was evaluated to benchmark the effectiveness of our hydrogels. Chaga extracts were prepared via the hot-water extraction of chaga mushroom, a method selected for its relatively higher yields and preserved antioxidizing activities. Hydrogels synthesized with lignins of monocotyledons, wheat straw, and miscanthus were found to be suitable carriers for chaga–silver nanoparticles due to their favorable absorption and release behaviors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable and Renewable Polymers from Biomass)
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15 pages, 4376 KiB  
Article
Enhancing Paper Packaging’s Wet Strength Using the Synergy between Chitosan and Nanofibrillated Cellulose Additives
by Laura Andze, Marite Skute, Juris Zoldners, Martins Andzs, Gatis Sirmulis, Ilze Irbe, Ulla Milbreta, Inga Dabolina and Inese Filipova
Polymers 2024, 16(2), 227; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16020227 - 12 Jan 2024
Viewed by 648
Abstract
The demand for eco-friendly packaging materials has urged researchers to look for alternatives to petroleum-based polymers. In this regard, paper-based products have turned out to be a promising choice; however, their weak resistance to water has limited their application. The use of various [...] Read more.
The demand for eco-friendly packaging materials has urged researchers to look for alternatives to petroleum-based polymers. In this regard, paper-based products have turned out to be a promising choice; however, their weak resistance to water has limited their application. The use of various additives to enhance paper’s moisture resistance is a common practice. However, considering the growing global agenda for sustainable development, the search for new bio-based paper additives has become increasingly important. This study investigated the potential synergistic impact of the addition of nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) and chitosan additives (CHIT) to different fiber combinations to improve paper’s properties, in particular, their wet strength. The efficacy of the additive application order was examined and was found to be crucial in achieving the desired outcomes. The results showed that incorporating CHIT after NFC enhanced the paper’s tensile and burst indicators, as well as the paper stretch in the dry state, by 35–70%, 35–55%, and 20–35%, respectively. In addition, the tensile index and stretch in the wet state improved 9–13 times and 2.5–5.5 times over, respectively. The air permeability decreased 2.5–12 times over. These findings demonstrate that the sequential addition of the NFC and CHIT additives yield a greater enhancement of paper’s properties than using each additive separately. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable and Renewable Polymers from Biomass)
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