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Special Issue "Innovative Materials Based on Natural Polymers: Synthesis, Characterization and Applications"

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2023 | Viewed by 7770

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Dr. Lacramioara Rusu

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Faculty of Engineering, Chemical and Food Engineering Department, “Vasile Alecsandri” University of Bacau, Bacau, Romania
Interests: biomaterials; environmental protection; water and wastewater treatment; biosorption; bioresources valorization
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Dear Colleagues,

Natural polymers play an important role in sustainable development. Natural-polymer-based materials have received significant attention in recent years due to their potential applications in various fields, such as environmental protection, medicine, the cosmetics and food industries, and agriculture.

In recent years, there has been an increase in interest in obtaining new types of natura-polymer-based materials due to their biocompatibility and biodegradability.

This Special Issue on "Innovative Materials Based on Natural Polymers: Synthesis, Characterization and Applications" aims to provide an overview of innovative materials, mainly derived from natural polymers, which follow the principles of green chemistry, a circular economy, and sustainability, with applications in various fields.

I am pleased to invite you to submit research articles or reviews to this Special Issue.

Dr. Lacramioara Rusu
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

natural polymers
biocomposite
biosorbent
immobilization
encapsulation
cellulose
membranes
environmental protection
medicine
cosmetic industry
food industry
biodegradable packaging

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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Open AccessArticle

Phase Behavior of Aqueous Mixtures of Sodium Alginate with Fish Gelatin: Effects of pH and Ionic Strength

Daria S. Kolotova

Ekaterina V. Borovinskaya

and

Polymers 2023, 15(10), 2253; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15102253 - 10 May 2023

Viewed by 794

Abstract

The phase behavior of aqueous mixtures of fish gelatin (FG) and sodium alginate (SA) and complex coacervation phenomena depending on pH, ionic strength, and cation type (Na⁺, Ca²⁺) were studied by turbidimetric acid titration, UV spectrophotometry, dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy for different mass ratios of sodium alginate and gelatin (Z = 0.01–1.00). The boundary pH values determining the formation and dissociation of SA-FG complexes were measured, and we found that the formation of soluble SA-FG complexes occurs in the transition from neutral (pH_c) to acidic (pH_φ1) conditions. Insoluble complexes formed below pH_φ1 separate into distinct phases, and the phenomenon of complex coacervation is thus observed. Formation of the highest number of insoluble SA-FG complexes, based on the value of the absorption maximum, is observed at рH_opt and results from strong electrostatic interactions. Then, visible aggregation occurs, and dissociation of the complexes is observed when the next boundary, pH_φ2, is reached. As Z increases in the range of SA-FG mass ratios from 0.01 to 1.00, the boundary values of рН_c, рH_φ1, рH_opt, and рH_φ2 become more acidic, shifting from 7.0 to 4.6, from 6.8 to 4.3, from 6.6 to 2.8, and from 6.0 to 2.7, respectively. An increase in ionic strength leads to suppression of the electrostatic interaction between the FG and SA molecules, and no complex coacervation is observed at NaCl and CaCl₂ concentrations of 50 to 200 mM. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Materials Based on Natural Polymers: Synthesis, Characterization and Applications)

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Open AccessArticle

The Unique Morphology of Coconut Petiole Fibers Facilitates the Fabrication of Plant Composites with High Impact Performance

and

Polymers 2023, 15(9), 2200; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15092200 - 05 May 2023

Viewed by 1211

Abstract

The present work explored alkali–treated coconut petiole fibers (ACPFs) characterization and the effect of fiber loadings on the mechanical properties of poly (lactic acid) (PLA)/ACPF composites for the first time. The physical, mechanical, and interfacial properties, as well as the morphology of the ACPFs were reported. It was found that ACPFs with a density of 0.92 g/cm³ have average tensile strength and tensile modulus equal to 355.77 MPa and 5212.36 MPa. The interfacial strength between ACPFs and PLA was high (14.06 MPa), attributed to the micro–sized holes on the fibers, as established from SEM micrographs. Then composites with varying fiber loadings were fabricated by melt–blending and compression molding. The mechanical (tensile, flexural, and impact) performance of composites was reported. Based on the high interfacial strength between fibers and PLA and the unique “spiral” structure of fibers, the composites reached a high impact strength of 8.2 kJ/m² and flexural modulus of 6959.70 MPa at 50 wt.%, representing 150% and 50% improvement relative to pure PLA. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Materials Based on Natural Polymers: Synthesis, Characterization and Applications)

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Open AccessArticle

Preparation of Aloe-Emodin Microcapsules and Its Effect on Antibacterial and Optical Properties of Water-Based Coating

Nan Huang

and

Xiaoxing Yan

Polymers 2023, 15(7), 1728; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15071728 - 30 Mar 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 830

Abstract

With the development of science and technology, the function of waterborne coatings has been advanced to a higher standard, which requires researchers to innovate and expand the research on them. Aloe-emodin is a natural material with antibacterial properties. Applying its antibacterial effect to the coating can enrich its function and meet the diversified needs of consumers. In this study, the urea-formaldehyde resin was used as the wall material and the aloe-emodin as the core material to prepare the microcapsules. The coating rate, yield, and morphology of the microcapsules were characterized. Through an orthogonal experiment and a single factor experiment, the optimization scheme of microcapsule preparation was explored. The results indicated that the optimum preparation process of aloe-emodin microcapsules was as follows: the mass ratio of core material to wall material was 1:15, the molar ratio of urea to formaldehyde was 1:1.2, the temperature of microencapsulation was 50 °C, and the stirring speed of microencapsulation was 600 rpm. On this basis, the aloe-emodin microcapsules with 0%, 1.0%, 3.0%, 6.0%, 9.0%, and 12.0% contents were added to the waterborne coating to prepare the paint films, and their influence on the antibacterial and optical properties of the waterborne paint films was explored. The results demonstrated that the aloe-emodin microcapsules had antibacterial activity. When the content was 6.0%, the comprehensive performance of the film was better. The antibacterial rate of the film against Escherichia coli was 68.1%, and against Staphylococcus aureus it was 60.7%. The color difference of the film was 59.93, and the glossiness at 60° was 7.8%. In this study, the microcapsules that can improve the antibacterial performance of water-based coatings were prepared, which can expand the application of water-based coatings and provide a reference for the study of the functionalization of water-based coatings. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Materials Based on Natural Polymers: Synthesis, Characterization and Applications)

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Open AccessArticle

L-Arginine Grafted Chitosan as Corrosion Inhibitor for Mild Steel Protection

Khalid Hassan Ibnaouf

and

Osamah A. Aldaghri

Polymers 2023, 15(2), 398; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15020398 - 12 Jan 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1412

Abstract

Corrosion prevention has been a global phenomenon, particularly in metallic and construction engineering. Most inhibitors are expensive and toxic. Therefore, developing nontoxic and cheap corrosion inhibitors has been a way forward. In this work, L-arginine was successfully grafted on chitosan by the thermal technique using a reflux condenser. This copolymer was characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The corrosion inhibition performance of the composite polymer was tested on mild steel in 0.5M HCl by electrochemical methods. The potentiodynamic polarization (PDP) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) results were consistent. The inhibition efficiency at optimum concentration rose to 91.4%. The quantum chemical calculation parameters show good properties of the material as a corrosion inhibitor. The molecular structure of the inhibitor was subjected to density functional theory (DFT) to understand its theoretical properties, and the results confirmed the inhibition efficiency of the grafted polymer for corrosion prevention. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Materials Based on Natural Polymers: Synthesis, Characterization and Applications)

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Review

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Open AccessReview

Insights into Recent Advances of Biomaterials Based on Microbial Biomass and Natural Polymers for Sustainable Removal of Pharmaceuticals Residues

Lăcrămioara Rusu

Elena-Mirela Suceveanu

Alexandra-Cristina Blaga

Florin Marian Nedeff

and

Daniela Șuteu

Polymers 2023, 15(13), 2923; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15132923 - 01 Jul 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 680

Abstract

Pharmaceuticals are acknowledged as emerging contaminants in water resources. The concentration of pharmaceutical compounds in the environment has increased due to the rapid development of the pharmaceutical industry, the increasing use of human and veterinary drugs, and the ineffectiveness of conventional technologies to remove pharmaceutical compounds from water. The application of biomaterials derived from renewable resources in emerging pollutant removal techniques constitutes a new research direction in the field. In this context, the article reviews the literature on pharmaceutical removal from water sources using microbial biomass and natural polymers in biosorption or biodegradation processes. Microorganisms, in their active or inactive form, natural polymers and biocomposites based on inorganic materials, as well as microbial biomass immobilized or encapsulated in polymer matrix, were analyzed in this work. The review examines the benefits, limitations, and drawbacks of employing these biomaterials, as well as the prospects for future research and industrial implementation. From these points of view, current trends in the field are clearly reviewed. Finally, this study demonstrated how biocomposites made of natural polymers and microbial biomass suggest a viable adsorbent biomaterial for reducing environmental pollution that is also efficient, inexpensive, and sustainable. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Materials Based on Natural Polymers: Synthesis, Characterization and Applications)

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Open AccessReview

Recent Application Prospects of Chitosan Based Composites for the Metal Contaminated Wastewater Treatment

Ashoka Gamage

Nepali Jayasinghe

Punniamoorthy Thiviya

M. L. Dilini Wasana

Othmane Merah

Terrence Madhujith

and

Janardhan Reddy Koduru

Polymers 2023, 15(6), 1453; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15061453 - 14 Mar 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2125

Abstract

Heavy metals, known for their toxic nature and ability to accumulate and magnify in the food chain, are a major environmental concern. The use of environmentally friendly adsorbents, such as chitosan (CS)—a biodegradable cationic polysaccharide, has gained attention for removing heavy metals from water. This review discusses the physicochemical properties of CS and its composites and nanocomposites and their potential application in wastewater treatment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Materials Based on Natural Polymers: Synthesis, Characterization and Applications)

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