Biomass and Waste Conversion and Valorization to Chemicals, Energy and Fuels
A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Green Chemistry".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 June 2024 | Viewed by 9328
Special Issue Editors
Interests: green technologies; supercritical fluid extraction; biomass; bioactive compounds; lipids; fatty acids; modelling
Interests: chemical engineering; thermodynamics; green processes; thermophysical properties prediction; process system simulation and design
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Plants, algal as well as residual biomass, and wastes are, to a large extent, renewable resources that can be transformed into high-value-added products such as chemicals, biofuels, and advanced materials. Moreover, the introduction of innovative conversion pathways can play a significant role in promoting sustainability, reducing waste, and mitigating the negative environmental impacts associated with conventional resource valorization and waste disposal.
In the last few decades, an increasing number of biomass species, varieties of waste, and clean green as well as sustainable chemical processes have been introduced and promoted to line up with the concept of biorefinery. Without being exhaustive, we provide two examples: Biomass chemical processing, through various methods for energy production, can reduce our dependence on non-renewable fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas. The production of advanced and innovative materials, such as food additives, nutraceuticals, bioplastics, biocomposites, bio-based fibers, etc., from biomass and biowaste as feedstocks.
This Special Issue aims to cover recent and emerging new-generation strategies for the development of sustainable biomass/waste conversion processes, as well as discussions of aspects that drive present and future research. Review articles by experts in the field are also strongly encouraged. We look forward to receiving your contributions.
Prof. Dr. José A.P. Coelho
Prof. Dr. Roumiana P. Stateva
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- plants and microalgal biomass
- green chemistry
- waste valorisation
- compressed solvents
- biofuels
- biorefinery
Planned Papers
The below list represents only planned manuscripts. Some of these manuscripts have not been received by the Editorial Office yet. Papers submitted to MDPI journals are subject to peer-review.
Title: Utilization of oak tree (Quercus robur) and mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) biomass for the production of bioactive extracts
Authors: David Villanueva-Bermejo; Diego Martín Hernández; Elvis Judith Hernández; Susana Santoyo; Tiziana Fornari
Affiliation: Institute of Food Science Research (CIAL CSIC-UAM), 28049 Madrid, Spain
Abstract: Quercus robur bark and Artemisia vulgaris are renewable resources that can be transformed into high value-added chemicals. The aim of this study was to investigate the Pressurized Liquid Extraction (PLE) and Supercritical Fluid Extraction (SFE) of this biomass to produce bioactive extracts. PLE of Q. robur and A. vulgaris were carried out at different temperatures with water, ethanol and several hydroalcoholic mixtures. SFE of A. vulgaris was performed at different pressures (15 and 30 MPa) and ethanol concentrations (0% and 10% w/w). The anti-inflammatory activity of Q. robur extracts, the antibacterial activity of A. vulgaris extracts and the antioxidant activity of the extracts from both materials was determined. The highest TPC content and antioxidant activity of Q. robur extracts were achieved with water at 100 °C (487.97 mg GAE/g and 3741 µg trolox/g). The highest values for A. vulgaris extracts were obtained with ethanol at 200 °C (149.16 mg/g and 437.13 µmol/g). The ethanolic extract at 150 °C from A. vulgaris had a noticeable anti-inflammatory activity (inhibition of TNF-α and IL-6 secretion near to basal values and inhibition of IL-1β higher than 80% at 20 µg/mL). A. vulgaris extracts obtained by SFE exerted antibacterial activity against E. coli (IC50 of 1388 with neat SCCO2 at 15 MPa) and S. aureus (1406 µg/mL using SCCO2 with 10% ethanol).