Bio-Based and Biodegradable Polymers: Synthesis, Characterization and Applications

Dear Colleagues,

We encounter, see, wear, use, and interact with plastics every day. The durability, versatile properties, cost-effectiveness, and light weight of plastics have made them ubiquitous in our daily lives. However, this presence raises sustainability concerns as most commodity plastics are derived from fossil-fuel resources and are essentially non-degradable.

Utilization of biomass for plastic production is one of the key solutions for reducing the reliance of fossil-fuel resources. Biomass is a renewable resource that can obtained from plants and animals, containing stored chemical energy from the sun that is produced by plants through photosynthesis. It is possible to obtain bio-based compounds with unique chemical functionality through selective conversions. These compounds can be transformed into novel polymers with the aim of replacing those derived from fossil carbon sources. Despite significant efforts to create bio-based polymers identical to their petroleum-based counterparts, a persistent goal is to synthesize sustainable bio-based polymers that can either replace traditional polymers or offer superior performances.

Another significant effort to address plastic-related environmental concerns the development of bio-degradable polymers. A variety of degradable polymers such as poly(lactic acid) (PLA) have been developed as green alternatives; however, limitations of practical durability, degradability, and scalability have limited their viability. Therefore, overcoming the durability–degradability trade-off, improving synthetic efficiency, and controlling the degradability under specific conditions are the major targets in the field. 

Finally, in this Special Issue, the developments of bio-based polymers, bio-degradable polymers, and related polymer investigations are of interest.

Dr. Hee Joong Kim
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.

• sustainable polymers
• biopolymers
• bio-composites
• green chemistry
• bio-degradable polymers
• bio-mass conversion