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Polymers
Special Issues
Renewable and Biodegradable Polymer-Based Materials and Applications
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Renewable and Biodegradable Polymer-Based Materials and Applications

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Circular and Green Polymer Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2023) | Viewed by 10484

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Tzong-Ming Wu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
Interests: synthesis and characterization of polymer nanocomposites; biodegradable polymers; polymer nanocomposites; degradation behavior of biodegradable polymer nanocomposites; structural analysis of polymer; biominetics; polymers for agriculture mulching films
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Chin-Wen Chen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Organic and Polymeric Materials, Research and Development Center of Smart Textile Technology, National Taipei University of Technology, Taipei 10608, Taiwan
Interests: polymer polymerization and processing; polyester; polyamide; fibers; polymer morphology; multi-scale simulations
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The conventional synthetic polymers made from petrochemical products have damaging environmental effects due to their low recovery and reproduction rates and their poor degradability. Therefore, the development of environmentally friendly polymeric materials, which are mainly derived from renewable and biodegradable polymers from both fossil fuel and natural resources with excellent physical properties, has received a lot of research attention. At the same times, the use of reinforcement materials in renewable and biodegradable polymers has demonstrated significant promise for new designing renewable and biodegradable polymeric materials with desired properties. These reinforcement materials include nanoparticles, nanotubes, or layered materials, etc. Therefore, numerous investigations have been examined to fabricate the renewable and biodegradable polymer hybrids or composites materials due to their exceptional physical and mechanical properties compared to those of neat polymer matrix.

This Special Issue seeks to address recent developments based on renewable and biodegradable polymer-based materials and their applications. Manuscripts dealing with the synthesis of renewable and biodegradable polymers; nanoparticles, nanohybrids, and nanocomposites; functionalization; processing; multifunctional properties; applications; and recycling will be considered. Full papers, communications, and reviews covering these subjects are welcome.

Prof. Dr. Tzong-Ming Wu
Dr. Chin-Wen Chen
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.

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 3246 KiB  
Article
Synaptic Transistors Based on PVA: Chitosan Biopolymer Blended Electric-Double-Layer with High Ionic Conductivity
by Dong-Hee Lee, Hamin Park and Won-Ju Cho
Polymers 2023, 15(4), 896; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15040896 - 10 Feb 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1933
Abstract
This study proposed a biocompatible polymeric organic material-based synaptic transistor gated with a biopolymer electrolyte. A polyvinyl alcohol (PVA):chitosan (CS) biopolymer blended electrolyte with high ionic conductivity was used as an electrical double layer (EDL). It served as a gate insulator with a [...] Read more.
This study proposed a biocompatible polymeric organic material-based synaptic transistor gated with a biopolymer electrolyte. A polyvinyl alcohol (PVA):chitosan (CS) biopolymer blended electrolyte with high ionic conductivity was used as an electrical double layer (EDL). It served as a gate insulator with a key function as an artificial synaptic transistor. The frequency-dependent capacitance characteristics of PVA:CS-based biopolymer EDL were evaluated using an EDL capacitor (Al/PVA: CS blended electrolyte-based EDL/Pt configuration). Consequently, the PVA:CS blended electrolyte behaved as an EDL owing to high capacitance (1.53 µF/cm2) at 100 Hz and internal mobile protonic ions. Electronic synaptic transistors fabricated using the PVA:CS blended electrolyte-based EDL membrane demonstrated basic artificial synaptic behaviors such as excitatory post-synaptic current modulation, paired-pulse facilitation, and dynamic signal-filtering functions by pre-synaptic spikes. In addition, the spike-timing-dependent plasticity was evaluated using synaptic spikes. The synaptic weight modulation was stable during repetitive spike cycles for potentiation and depression. Pattern recognition was conducted through a learning simulation for artificial neural networks (ANNs) using Modified National Institute of Standards and Technology datasheets to examine the neuromorphic computing system capability (high recognition rate of 92%). Therefore, the proposed synaptic transistor is suitable for ANNs and shows potential for biological and eco-friendly neuromorphic systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Renewable and Biodegradable Polymer-Based Materials and Applications)
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14 pages, 4482 KiB  
Article
Green and Sustainable Hot Melt Adhesive (HMA) Based on Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) and Silanized Cellulose Nanofibers (SCNFs)
by Jaemin Jo, So-Yeon Jeong, Junhyeok Lee, Chulhwan Park and Bonwook Koo
Polymers 2022, 14(23), 5284; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14235284 - 3 Dec 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2259
Abstract
Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), with a long chain length and high poly(4–hydroxybutyric acid) (P4HB) ratio, can be used as a base polymer for eco-friendly and biodegradable adhesives owing to its high elasticity, elongation at break, flexibility, and processability; however, its molecular structures must be adjusted [...] Read more.
Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), with a long chain length and high poly(4–hydroxybutyric acid) (P4HB) ratio, can be used as a base polymer for eco-friendly and biodegradable adhesives owing to its high elasticity, elongation at break, flexibility, and processability; however, its molecular structures must be adjusted for adhesive applications. In this study, surface-modified cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) were used as a hydrophobic additive for the PHA-based adhesive. For the surface modification of CNFs, double silanization using tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) and methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS) was performed, and the thermal and structural properties were evaluated. The hydrophobicity of the TEOS- and MTMS-treated CNFs (TMCNFs) was confirmed by FT-IR and water contact angle analysis, with hydrophobic CNFs well dispersed in the PHA. The PHA–CNFs composite was prepared with TMCNFs, and its morphological analysis verified the good dispersion of TMCNFs in the PHA. The tensile strength of the composite was enhanced when 10% TMCNFs were added; however, the viscosity decreased as the TMCNFs acted as a thixotropic agent. Adding TMCNFs to PHA enhanced the flowability and infiltration ability of the PHA–TMCNFs-based adhesive, and an increase in the loss tangent (Tan δ) and adjustment of viscosity without reducing the adhesive strength was also observed. These changes in properties can improve the flowability and dispersibility of the PHA–TMCNFs adhesive on a rough adhesive surface at low stress. Thus, it is expected that double-silanized CNFs effectively improve their interfacial adhesion in PHA and the adhesive properties of the PHA–CNFs composites, which can be utilized for more suitable adhesive applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Renewable and Biodegradable Polymer-Based Materials and Applications)
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15 pages, 15977 KiB  
Article
A Rapid Thermal Absorption Rate and High Latent Heat Enthalpy Phase Change Fiber Derived from Bio-Based Low Melting Point Copolyesters
by Tsung-Yu Lan, Hsu-I Mao, Chin-Wen Chen, Yi-Ting Lee, Zhi-Yu Yang, Jian-Liang Luo, Pin-Rong Li and Syang-Peng Rwei
Polymers 2022, 14(16), 3298; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14163298 - 12 Aug 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1511
Abstract
A series of poly(butylene adipate-co-hexamethylene adipate) (PBHA) copolymers with different content of 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol (CHDM) was synthesized via one-step melt polymerization. The PBHA copolymer with 5 mol% CHDM (PBHA-C5) exhibited a low melting point (Tm) and high enthalpy of fusion [...] Read more.
A series of poly(butylene adipate-co-hexamethylene adipate) (PBHA) copolymers with different content of 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol (CHDM) was synthesized via one-step melt polymerization. The PBHA copolymer with 5 mol% CHDM (PBHA-C5) exhibited a low melting point (Tm) and high enthalpy of fusion (∆Hm) of 35.7 °C and 43.9 J g−1, respectively, making it a potential candidate for an ambient temperature adjustment textile phase change material (PCM). Polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) was selected as the matrix and blended at different weight ratios of PBHA-C5, and the blended samples showed comparable Tm and ∆Hm after three cycles of cooling and reheating, indicating good maintenance of their phase changing ability. Samples were then processed via melt spinning with a take-up speed of 200 m min−1 at draw ratios (DR) of 1.0 to 3.0 at 50 °C. The fiber’s mechanical strength could be enhanced to 2.35 g den−1 by increasing the DR and lowering the PBHA-C5 content. Infrared thermography showed that a significant difference of more than 5 °C between PBT and other samples was achieved within 1 min of heating, indicating the ability of PBHA-C5 to adjust the temperature. After heating for 30 min, the temperatures of neat PBT, blended samples with 27, 30, and 33 wt% PBHA-C5, and neat PBHA-C5 were 53.8, 50.2, 48.3, 47.2, and 46.5 °C, respectively, and reached an equilibrium state, confirming the temperature adjustment ability of PBHA-C5 and suggesting that it can be utilized in thermoregulating applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Renewable and Biodegradable Polymer-Based Materials and Applications)
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Review

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19 pages, 751 KiB  
Review
Exploiting Polyhydroxyalkanoates for Biomedical Applications
by Vipin Chandra Kalia, Sanjay K. S. Patel and Jung-Kul Lee
Polymers 2023, 15(8), 1937; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15081937 - 19 Apr 2023
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3808
Abstract
Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) are biodegradable plastic. Numerous bacteria produce PHAs under environmental stress conditions, such as excess carbon-rich organic matter and limitations of other nutritional elements such as potassium, magnesium, oxygen, phosphorus, and nitrogen. In addition to having physicochemical properties similar to fossil-fuel-based plastics, [...] Read more.
Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) are biodegradable plastic. Numerous bacteria produce PHAs under environmental stress conditions, such as excess carbon-rich organic matter and limitations of other nutritional elements such as potassium, magnesium, oxygen, phosphorus, and nitrogen. In addition to having physicochemical properties similar to fossil-fuel-based plastics, PHAs have unique features that make them ideal for medical devices, such as easy sterilization without damaging the material itself and easy dissolution following use. PHAs can replace traditional plastic materials used in the biomedical sector. PHAs can be used in a variety of biomedical applications, including medical devices, implants, drug delivery devices, wound dressings, artificial ligaments and tendons, and bone grafts. Unlike plastics, PHAs are not manufactured from petroleum products or fossil fuels and are, therefore, environment-friendly. In this review, a recent overview of applications of PHAs with special emphasis on biomedical sectors, including drug delivery, wound healing, tissue engineering, and biocontrols, are discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Renewable and Biodegradable Polymer-Based Materials and Applications)
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